Biography

Norton, Thomas Allen b. July 25, 1912, Portland, Oregon; Father Donal Hendricks Norton (1879-1926), mother Abigail J. Thomas (1886-1917); Attended the University of Oregon for 1 year then attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon for an additional 3 years but did not graduate; Married; Student and Librarian; No party affiliation; Received Passport# 468353 on August 5, 1937 which listed his address as 1322 Southwest Hall Street, and 2066 Southern Street, both Portland, Oregon; Sailed August 28, 1937 aboard the Lafayette; Arrived in Spain on September 18, 1937; Served with the XV BDE, Lincoln-Washington BN, Co.3, Section Leader; Rank acting Sargento; Attended OTS; Then to BDE, Estado Mayor, Topography; Rank Sargento; Served as chief of Section; Served at Fuentes del Ebro and the Ebro Offensive; Returned to the US on December 15, 1938 aboard the Paris; WWII civilian shipyard worker at the Sausalito yards; Married Paula M. Smith (1916-1993), on August 18, 1947, in Carson City, Nevada, son John Thomas Norton (1942-1997); d. April 12, 2003, Muir Beach, California, cremated and ashes scattered.

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Sources: Sail; Scope of Soviet Activity; Pay; RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 956, ll. 14-29; USSDA 58:0362; Pacific NW; Harriman; (obituary notice) The Volunteer, Volume 26, No. 1, March 2004, p. 21; (obituary) San Francisco Chronicle, April 18, 2003. Code A

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Thomas Norton Interview, ALBA V 48-131, July 18, 1985, Manny Harriman Video Oral History Collection; ALBA VIDEO 048; box number 11; folder number 24; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.

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Photograph: Thomas Norton, Topography, April 1938. The 15th International Brigade Photographic Unit Photograph Collection; ALBA Photo 11; ALBA Photo number 11-0135. Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.