Charles Bates "Tex" Thornton (July 22, 1913 – November 24, 1981) was an American business executive who was the founder of Litton Industries.
Following the war he offered the group of ten to several employers as an all-or-nothing proposition to provide the corporation with an analytical management team.
In 1953, he founded a company called Electro-Dynamics, then acquired the vacuum tube manufacturing business of Charles Litton, Sr. in 1953.
[2] Through a series of mergers and acquisitions orchestrated by Thornton, Litton became a huge conglomerate with a wide range of products.
In 1966, Thornton received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.