Background
Whaling, Thornton was born on June 5, 1858 in Radford, Montgomery Company, Virginia, United States. Son of Alexander Lewis and Agatha Lewis (Williams) Whaling.
Whaling, Thornton was born on June 5, 1858 in Radford, Montgomery Company, Virginia, United States. Son of Alexander Lewis and Agatha Lewis (Williams) Whaling.
Educated Davidson College, North Carolina, 1872-1874. Bachelor of Arts, Roanoke College, Virginia, 1879. Union Theological Seminary, New York, 1879-1881, Columbia Theological Seminary, South Carolina., 1882-1883.
Doctor of Divinity, Austin College, 1895, Roanoke, 1897.
Doctor of Laws, Southwestern Presbyterian University, 1911. Doctor of Letters from Davidson (North Carolina) College, 1927.
Ordained Presbyterian ministry, November 20, 1883. Pastor, Cheraw, South Carolina., 1883-1890, Birmingham, Alabama, 1890-1892. Professor philosophy and economics, Southwestern Presbyterian University, 1892-1896.
Pastor, Lexington, Virginia, 1896-1905, First Church, Dallas, Texas, 1905-1910, Second Church, Norfolk, Virginia, 1910-1911.
President and professor of didactic and polemic theology, Columbia (South Carolina.) Theological Seminary, 1911-1921. Professor theology and apologetics, Louisville (Kentucky) Seminary, 1921-1929, McNair lecturer, University of North Carolina, 1928.
Chaplain general, Sons of the American Revolution, Columbia, South Carolina., 1929-1930. Teacher, Young Men's Christian Association College, Blue Ridge, North Carolina, 1921-1923.
Lecturer and general evangelist since 1930.
Associate editor Central Presbyterian, 1890-1898. Review editor Magazine of Christian Literature, 1890-1893. President board directors Union Theological Seminary, Virginia, 1903-1905.
Director Austin (Texas) Theological Seminary, 1906-1910.
Trustee, Executive Committee Davidson College Avera Bible lecturer, Trinity College, North Carolina, 1913, Seashore Division School, 1919. Moderator General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in the United States, 1924.
Clubs: Cosmos, Fortnightly.
Married Lucy Muller, of Columbia, South Carolina., December 20, 1883.