P. Thomas Thornbrugh

P. Thomas (Tom) Thornbrugh (A document published by Emporia State shows that the initial P.) stands for Paul. While at Tulsa, he was on the Dean's Honor Roll and Res Nova law review. After graduating from law school in 1974, he went to work in Washington, D.C., on the staff of Senator Dewey F. Bartlett (R-OK) for three years. Returning to his home state, he had a private law practice in Oklahoma for the next 20 years.

On the bench Governor Frank Keating appointed him as a district judge for the 14th Judicial District in 1997. (The 14th District includes Tulsa County, which meant that he served as Municipal Court Judge for the cities of Tulsa and Bixby.) During the next 15 years, his colleagues elected him as Presiding Judge of the District, President of the Assembly of Presiding Judges and as a member of the Oklahoma Judicial Conference Executive Committee. the Oklahoma Association for Justice named him Trial Judge of the Year in 2011.

Judge Thornbrugh is an adjunct professor at the University of Tulsa School of Law.

Thornbrugh filed for retention in the 2010 election. He was automatically returned to the bench because no one ran against him.

Honors Thornbrugh was one of four graduates named as 2013 Distinguished Alumni by Emporia State University.