Friends and family are invited to celebrate the life of Gordon Thorn during a drop-in reception from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Elizabeth Moore Hall.
An alum who dedicated more than 40 years to serving WVU, Thorn died on Nov. 14, 2025, at the age of 94.
Thorn joined the University in 1957 as assistant director of student affairs. He later held several other leadership roles in student affairs and financial aid before being named assistant vice president for student affairs in 1981, a position he held until his retirement in 1997.
Throughout his career, he served on many University committees and played an important role in shaping campus life and facilities, including the planning of Milan Puskar Stadium, the Student Rec Center, the Shell Building and the Mountainlair expansion.
His dedication to the University earned him many honors. In 1997, he was selected as a charter member of the Student Life Hall of Fame. In 2001, he received the Paul B. “Buck” Martin Award and was named the WVU Foundation’s Most Loyal Staff Mountaineer. The following year, he was inducted into the Order of Vandalia, the University’s highest honor for extraordinary service. Later, in 2007, he was recognized as the WVU Alumni Association’s Outstanding Alumnus.
A proud member of Mountain Honorary during his student years, he later served as the organization’s advisor for 30 years, mentoring generations of students.
Thorn served as a member of the ROTC while earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from WVU. Following graduation, he entered the United States Air Force as an officer and proudly served from 1955 to 1957, stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.