Merlin Silverthorn

Merlin Silverthorn graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics. While in college, Merlin ran on the track team, belonged to the American Chemical Society, and was a founding member of the Young Republicans organization. After graduation, he accepted a teaching assistant position in the chemistry department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1960, he started work as an associate scientist in the missiles and space division of Lockheed Corporation. Merlin established the Merlin E. Silverthorn Scholarship through an estate gift after he passed away in 2010.