In honor of Thornburgh, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday ordered the U.S. and Pennsylvania flags at all Commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds to be flown immediately to half-staff.
Between 1979 and 1987, Thornburgh served two terms as governor of Pennsylvania. The following year, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to head the Department of Justice, a position he held during the administration of George HW Bush until 1991.
“He led Pennsylvania through a turbulent period in our history of the Commonwealth after the partial collapse at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station,” Wolf said. “His was an essential and steady voice of calm in the midst of a crisis … The whole of Pennsylvania regrets the loss of one of our great government officials.”
The nuclear accident occurred just 71 days after Thornburgh was sworn in as governor. Among his early actions during the crisis was that he had to evacuate pregnant women and young children from the area. Although there is no indication that the release of radiation has caused health problems among employees or the general public, the incident has led to stricter federal oversight of nuclear power stations.
According to the Department of Justice, according to the NGA, Thornburgh focused on white-collar crime, drug trafficking and terrorism, among other things.
As Bush’s attorney general, Thornburgh played a key role in implementing the historic 1990 Americans with Disabilities, which expanded civil rights protection for Americans with disabilities.
Wolf celebrated Thornburgh’s involvement, saying that “during the tenure of the Attorney General, he used his power during his tenure to advocate for the needs of vulnerable Americans.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
Elizabeth Joseph of CNN contributed to this report.