ELECTRONICS: Man with a Plan

Even in the electronics industry, chock-full of whiz kids, Charles Bates Thornton stands out as a wonder. He was an Air Force colonel at 28, the planning director of Ford Motor Co. at 32, the operating boss of Hughes Aircraft at 35. Now—at 45—he heads one of the fastest-growing electronics makers: Beverly Hills' Litton Industries. In five years under Thornton, Litton's yearly sales have risen from $3,000,000 to $83 million, are expected to top $110 million in the twelve months ending next July. Last week "Tex" Thornton was ready to bite off another chunk of the market. He said...

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