While John Malkovich or George Harrison may have more name recognition, it would be hard to reference impressive individuals who have spent time in Benton without mentioning Jeff Thornburg. From Amazon and SpaceX to the U.S. Air Force and NASA, Jeff has worked as a space engineer and leader who has played a prominent role in numerous successful space launches. He’s also founded two space companies after growing up and receiving his elementary and high school education in Benton, Illinois.
JEFF THORNBURG
While Jeff grew up in Benton, he shares that his parents grew up in central Missouri. Before settling down, his father worked for the Food and Drug Administration and took positions in Kansas City and Wichita. They searched for a small, Midwestern town with a strong school district and land to hunt and fish. Eventually, Jeff’s parents found the right town to plant roots and raise their children in a positive environment similar to the one they’d enjoyed— Benton, Illinois.
I had teachers in the Benton school system that were extremely supportive.
A Powerful Foundation
in a Rural
Education
"They still liked that rural area. My dad grew up on a farm and wanted us to live in a community where he could still do those things he enjoyed doing,” shares Jeff. He adds, “We had a boat and went fishing. I started bird hunting with my dad when I was nine years old. We did those outdoor things because of what was in the community. That rural environment was attractive. Everybody knows everybody else. There’s less anonymity.”
That rural area and the opportunities it provided were everything Jeff needed to grow and prosper.
When reflecting, he still remembers his teachers’ support as he chased his dreams, commenting that Jeff knew what he wanted—to work in the space program from a young age. Lacking the eyesight needed to be an astronaut, Jeff chose aerospace engineering.
“When I grew up, I was one of those weird kids who knew what they wanted to do. I was a sci-fi nerd. I loved Dr. Who and Star Trek and all those sci-fi things. I knew I wanted to be an engineer and an astronaut. But my eyes weren’t good enough to be an astronaut. But I wanted to be an engineer and work in the space program. I had teachers in the Benton school system that were extremely supportive. The teachers took a special interest when they saw how interested I was.”
From Benton High School, he went to what was then the University of Missouri, Rolla, now Missouri University of Science and Technology. Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. He shares that he wanted to find his own way and joined the Air Force ROTC program.
Immediately after graduating, Jeff was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force. He traveled the world for a few years before earning his master’s degree. Jeff considers the combination of earning his master’s degree and the hands-on experience the Air Force provided opened his exposure to the Aerospace Industry.
While working in the Air Force Research lab, they pioneered a new type of rocket engine and several related technologies. He then entered private industry, working for Aerojet before accepting a position at NASA, where he helped develop the engine used in the Airies rocket program. From there, he shares that he’s received personal calls and job offers from Elon Musk (Tesla & SpaceX) and Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft), both of which led to accepted leadership positions at SpaceX and Stratolaunch.
While I could easily fill an entire magazine with Jeff’s knowledge and experience, as well as the countless related stories he was kind enough to share, what’s most impressive is that, in a world where children in small towns are sometimes discouraged from dreaming too big, Jeff shares that the Benton education system and their countless teachers encouraged him at every step of the way.
Looking back, Jeff shares that everything started because of his parents’ focus on raising their children in a small, tight-knit community where people care for, encourage, and motivate one another. “I believe they consciously chose to give the best education and overall child experience to my sister and me. To be grounded in that. That community with a personal touch.”
