Thorn Mayes was born in Albany, N.Y. and moved to Oakland, California a few months later. His childhood was spent in the Oakland area until his parents were transferred back to Schenectady, N.Y. in 1949. He received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from The University of New Hampshire in 1952. Following graduation he was employed at the General Electric Co. Research Lab in Schenectady. When the G.E. Computer Dept. was established in Phoenix in 1957 he was transferred there for digital computer research and design engineering and software design. In 1965 he was employed by The I.B.M. Corp. medical computer systems lab in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. After three years he returned to G.E. in Phoenix. In 1983 his wife Carol and he moved to Durango, Colorado to work for a small “startup company” designing special purpose digital computers for Grumman Aircraft Corp. In 1989 they completed the Grumman contract, closed their Co. doors, and he retired so they could enjoy the four-corners area.
His first visit to the Monument Valley area was as a very young passenger in 1932. His family made a vacation trip to see the Nevills about once a year. The Nevills would make yearly visits to see the Mayes family in California as well. In 1948 the Mayes family, along with Norm, Doris, and Joan made the boat trip from Mexican Hat to Lee’s Ferry. In 1964 the two families families went on a boat trip with Gaylord and Joan Staveley from Hite, on the San Juan River, to, and around Lake Powell while it was filling. While Mayes was living in Phoenix his family made many trips to the Four-Corners area to enjoy its beauty and history.
From the guide to the Thorn Mayes Collection, 1940s-1963, (Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Department)
