Appreciation: Maxwell Douglas Thornton (1916-2008)

Maxwell Thornton combined a successful career in Scottish financial services with a lifetime of enthusiasm for chess. I first met him in the 1960s when he was secretary of the Scottish Chess Association (SCA). The SCA’s main office bearers at that time gave their time freely while developing successful careers. Its president, WA Fairhurst, was an international master and British chess champion, known on a wider stage for his civil engineering prowess, including of course the Kingston bridge in Glasgow and the Tay road bridge. Eric Allen combined his role as treasurer with a successful career in the civil service.

The 1960s was a time of great change in the Scottish chess world, inspired at least in part by the high profile of US chess legend Bobby Fischer.

It is to the enormous credit of Maxwell Thornton that he and his two colleagues provided a financially secure and administratively sound core for the national body, at the same time as encouraging and facilitating burgeoning chess activity.

In all our dealings, I recall him as courteous, efficient, thoughtful, constructive and adept in finding solutions and resolving issues. His commitment as secretary from 1959 to 1974 was always positive and strong, especially important at a time of such great change.

The SCA celebrated its centenary in 1984, one of the oldest national chess organisations in the world. By then, I had now become secretary of the SCA and was absolutely delighted that Maxwell agreed to write the history of the association, with international master Craig Pritchett annotating a selection of historic Scottish games. I enjoyed helping bring Scotland’s Chess Centenary Book together and taking it to publication — as well as being one of the first to read the fascinating picture that Maxwell painted after extensive and time-consuming research. Sadly, the book is now out of print.

Maxwell was also extraordinarily successful in his career as an actuary. At the Craigforth Stirling base of the Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society, he was the pensions manager, universally referred to as MDT (Maxwell Douglas Thornton). His title belied the importance of his role, which was just one step away from general manager.

A former colleague reminded me that in those days there were no executives on the board, but if there had been he would surely have been included. It was at his suggestion that I applied to work for Scottish Amicable. Although I was then based in their Glasgow offices, the internal mail system occasionally carried some chess-related messages.

MDT’s professional expertise and standing were recognised when he served as president of the Faculty of Actuaries from 1975 to 1977. The Scottish Chess Association’s loss was the Faculty of Actuaries’ gain, and he was an active and valued member of the Profession for nearly three decades.

Maxwell’s involvement with the governance of the Faculty started in 1957 when he was elected to the Faculty Council. He served as a member of the Council until 1961, later becoming honorary secretary (1968-1969) and honorary treasurer (1973-1974), before being elected vice-president in 1974.

Following his presidency of the Faculty, he continued to be involved with the Council as a past-president until 1981. Maxwell also found time to play chess to a high level throughout his life, from schoolboy at Glasgow High School through winning club championships in Glasgow Central and Stirling chess clubs to solving chess problems.

Of the latter he enjoyed those specially composed to bring out the power and beauty of the game, and reached the British Problem Solving Competition finals several times.

George Clarke, one of his friends in Stirling Chess Club, told me Maxwell was solving the problems George publishes in the Stirling Observer until the day before he died.

This positive mental attitude probably best sums up Maxwell. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

John Glendinning (Obituary reproduced, with editing, from The Scotsman)