Abstract
In addition to making a full lifetime's worth of impressive contributions to genetics in his years as Professor at the University of Wisconsin (1958-1996), he has also made stunning research contributions as Emeritus Professor, at Stanford University, at UCLA, and working in his home laboratory. Through extensive genetic, developmental, and molecular studies, Thorn defined the antennapedia gene complex (ANT-C) as a cluster of genes controlling the identity of the anterior segments in the embryo and adult. In all cases, the starting point has been to establish a solid genetic framework for testing hypotheses about gene functions and interactions.