| Tom Horton | |||||||||||||||||
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| Days of our Lives | |||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Macdonald Carey Zach Chyz (2024, 2025 flashbacks) | ||||||||||||||||
| Current status | Former; Regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1965–94, 2024, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | November 8, 1965 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | February 9, 1994 2025 (flashbacks) | ||||||||||||||||
| Cause/reason | Appeared in flashbacks | ||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Peggy Phillips And Kenneth Rosen | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Ted Corday | ||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Days of Our Lives: One Stormy Night (1992) | ||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||
| Fullname | Dr. Thomas Horton | ||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Dr. H | ||||||||||||||||
| Alias(es) | Norm de Plume | ||||||||||||||||
| Gender | Male | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 15, 1910 | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | June 21, 1994 | ||||||||||||||||
| Age | 84 | ||||||||||||||||
| Cause of death | Heart attack in his sleep | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Chief of Staff of Salem University Hospital Co-founder of the Horton Center Former Chief of Internal Medicine at University Hospital Former Staff physician at Salem University Hospital Former Professional of internal medicine at Salem University Former Captain in the U.S. military Former Minor league baseball player (pitcher; while in college) | ||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Salem, Illinois (at time of death) | ||||||||||||||||
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Dr. Thomas "Tom" Horton was a character from the soap opera Days of Our Lives, portrayed by Macdonald Carey from 1965 until his death in 1994.
Storylines
Thomas Horton was born in 1910 to William Horton Sr. and Adelaide Horton. He wed Alice Grayson on March 7, 1930. A distinguished physician at Salem University Hospital, Tom was the father of five children: twins Tommy Horton and Addie Horton, as well as Mickey Horton, Bill Horton, and Marie Horton.
In 1965, prior to ascending to a prominent position at the hospital, Tom was an ordinary physician operating his practice from home. Alongside his private practice, he also served as an instructor at the Salem University School of Medicine and held a role at the hospital. In November of that year, Tom was in the midst of preparations for the wedding of his youngest daughter, Marie, to Tony Merritt. One evening, Tom received a call from the police informing him that his "daughter" Julie Olson Williams had been arrested for shoplifting. Julie was actually his granddaughter, he knew she must be in trouble and hurried to the police station accompanied by his son Mickey, and brought Julie home. Feeling neglected by her parents, Addie and Ben, who paid little attention to her and her brother Steve Olson, Julie requested during her court hearing to live with her grandparents. The judge approved her request, and she subsequently moved in with Tom and Alice. This arrangement became more permanent when Addie, Ben Olson, and Steve relocated to Europe, leaving Julie to stay with her grandparents in Salem.
The evening before Marie's wedding, Tom received a call from the wife of Carl Sawyer, one of his patients, informing him that Carl had fallen seriously ill. Tom assured her he would arrive soon. However, after ending the call, he and Mickey discovered Marie unconscious in her bedroom, having attempted suicide with pills following the end of her engagement to Tony. Tom successfully revived her, but in the process, he lost track of time, and three hours elapsed before he could reach the Sawyer residence. Upon his arrival, he learned that Carl Sawyer had succumbed to internal bleeding. His daughter, Jean, swore to hold Tom responsible for her father's death, and sued Tom for malpractice.
At the same time, Marie found herself engulfed in profound depression. She isolated herself, remaining in her bedroom throughout the day and night. Despite Tom and the rest of the family’s efforts to uplift her spirits, they were unsuccessful. Concurrently, Tom and Mickey deliberated on how to manage the lawsuit, striving to keep it hidden from Marie. The trial commenced in January. After the poignant testimonies of Jean and Anna Sawyer, along with the assessments from various medical experts, it appeared that Tom was likely to lose the case due to indications of negligence on his part. However, at a crucial moment, Marie uncovered the reason behind the trial and Tom's seemingly guilty demeanor. In a courageous act, she entered the courtroom and implored to be heard. The truth emerged from her own words, she had attempted to take her own life, and Tom had intervened to save her. This was the reason he was unable to care for Carl Sawyer. Consequently, it was concluded that Tom had been facing a personal emergency at home, absolving him of any malpractice or negligence.
After the trial, in 1966, Tom was reinstated to the hospital staff. One day, a dairy farmer from the nearby town of Woodstock was admitted with a severe case of dysentery and indications of a tumor. Unfortunately, the man passed away shortly thereafter. Both Tom and his colleague, Rusty Lincoln, were perplexed by the incident. The following week, another patient presented with identical symptoms. Tests revealed no tumor, and Tom diligently treated the dysentery to stabilize the patient. After considerable discussion, Tom and Rusty deduced that both men had likely been victims of poisoning and collaborated to identify the source. They suspected the contamination originated from Woodstock, but the exact source remained unclear. Soon after, Julie also fell ill with similar poisoning symptoms. In a desperate effort to save her, Tom managed to trace Julie and her boyfriend, David Martin, back to the location they had visited on the day she became unwell. It was discovered that they had been in Woodstock, where Julie had consumed water from a well. This crucial information enabled Tom and Rusty to link the poisoning to a soap factory owned by Woodstock Industries. The factory was situated along the Salem River, and the chemical runoff was identified as the source of the contamination. This revelation deeply troubled Tom, particularly because Mickey was the new attorney for Woodstock Industries. Despite being on opposing sides, Tom and Mickey collaborated to ensure the factory addressed the pollution and implemented measures to prevent future incidents.
In 1967, Tom found himself in a difficult position due to the conflict between his sons, Mickey and Bill. Bill believed that Tom showed favoritism towards Tommy and Mickey, which led to his feelings of resentment. After developing tuberculosis, Bill decided to leave Salem in search of distance from his family. Meanwhile, Tom was preoccupied with Julie, who was still infatuated with her former boyfriend, David Martin. David had recently married Susan Hunter after getting her pregnant. Although Tom had previously supported Susan's marriage to David, he now urged Julie to move on and not disrupt this new family unit. Ultimately, like Bill, Julie also departed Salem, but not before discovering that she was pregnant with David's child.
Bill eventually came back to Salem accompanied by his new medical colleague, Dr. Mark Brooks. Upon Mark's arrival at the hospital, he quickly formed a strong friendship with Tom. The connection was not limited to Tom; the entire Horton family sensed a striking familiarity with Mark. In turn, Mark felt an unusual sense of belonging in the Horton household, to the extent that he was aware of where items like matches were stored, along with other peculiar details. In time, it was revealed that Mark was, in fact, Tom and Alice's deceased son, Tommy, who had been missing in action during the Korean War. By this point, Tommy had began dating his sister Marie. When the truth was revealed by Mickey and Tom, the trauma caused Marie to leave town and join a convent outside of the United States, where she became a nun.
In 1968, following Mickey's marriage to Laura Horton, he requested Tom conduct a fertility test. Before the results were available, Laura discovered she was expecting. Unbeknown to the Horton family, Laura had been a victim of rape by Bill. Laura accessed Mickey's test results prior to Tom and learned that Mickey was sterile. Faced with no other option, she revealed the entire truth to Tom. To avoid disrupting his son's marriage and jeopardizing his other son's life and career, Tom chose to keep the incident confidential. In the fall, Laura gave birth to a son named Michael, while Tom concealed the fact that Bill was Michael's biological father from the entire family. In 1969, after inadvertently recording a conversation with Laura about Michael's paternity, his secretary and daughter-in-law, Kitty Horton, listened to the tape and uncovered the truth. She opted to blackmail both Bill and Laura. During a confrontation with Bill, Kitty suffered a heart attack and passed away. Bill, who left the scene without realizing Kitty was in distress, was subsequently arrested for manslaughter. Aware that he was Michael's true father, Bill chose to remain silent about the truth and was later sentenced to three years in prison for Kitty's death.79=
By 1970, Bill was released from prison due to good behavior; however, tensions arose between Laura and Mickey. Mickey had started an affair with his secretary, Linda Patterson. Linda became pregnant, but because Mickey was sterile, Tom and Laura knew Mickey couldn't be the baby's father. Linda gave birth to a daughter named Melissa and soon left Salem with the real father of her baby Jim Phillips. During this tumultuous time, Tom provided support to both Mickey and Laura, all while concealing the truth that Bill was actually the biological father of young Mike. In 1971, Addie returned to the town following the passing of her husband, Ben. Tom was delighted to have his daughter back and offered her comfort during her mourning. Encouraged by her parents, Addie attempted to mend her relationship with her daughter, Julie, but Julie found it difficult to connect with her mother. The situation deteriorated further when Addie married Doug Williams, the man Julie had feelings for. Though Tom and Alice tried to mend fences between Addie and Julie, their relationship seemed strained forever.
In 1973, Mike discovered his father Mickey's affair with Linda and confronted him about it. The confrontation caused Mickey to suffer a heart attack due to the stress, leading to his hospitalization. Tom and Bill made efforts to bring Mickey back home, but one afternoon, while alone in his hospital room, he experienced a stroke. Disoriented and suffering amnesia, he left the hospital and wandered away from Salem. The Horton's searched for Mickey but were unsuccessful, leading to the assumption that he was dead. In truth, he was living on a farm outside of town with a young woman named Maggie Simmons. That same year, Addie received a diagnosis of leukemia and began her treatment. This diagnosis brought Julie and Addie closer together, while the Horton's rallied around Addie and Doug. Before her treatment, Addie learned that she was pregnant, leaving her conflicted about the potential risks to the baby from the cancer treatments. Nevertheless, Addie courageously decided to carry the baby to term. After a challenging and painful delivery, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, whom Addie and Doug named Hope. Addie was later declared cancer free.
A tragic event unfolded a few months after the birth of Hope. While out for a walk with her, Addie was crossing the street when a truck approached them at high speed. In a desperate attempt to protect her child, Addie pushed Hope's carriage to safety but was tragically struck and killed by the truck. She sacrificed her life to save her daughter. The loss of another child left Tom and Alice heartbroken. Tom grappled with his faith, questioning God's intentions, while Alice reminded him that God does not burden them beyond their capacity to endure.
Tom and Alice supported one another during challenging times. Later that year, a man named Marty Hansen arrived in Salem seeking assistance for his wife to regain her ability to walk. Marty was an amnesiac Mickey Horton, who had married Maggie. Tom, Laura, and Bill soon learned that Mickey had been residing outside of town and encouraged him to come back home. As Mickey gradually began to recall his past, he remained committed to Maggie, ultimately granting Laura a divorce and relocating back to Salem with her. Tom and Laura welcomed Maggie into their family, and eventually, Bill and Laura tied the knot.
In 1976, a pivotal event occurred. While Mike (now a teenager) was at Maggie's farm, he experienced an accident that necessitated a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, Mickey's blood type did not match, leading to the shocking revelation that he could not be Mike's biological father. The truth emerged: Bill stepped in to donate blood, ultimately saving Mike's life. However, the discovery that Bill was Mike's actual father triggered a surge of anger in Mickey, who realized he was sterile. Consumed by rage, he purchased a firearm and lay in wait for Bill at his home. When Bill arrived, Mickey fired at him, but fortunately, he only grazed Bill's arm. Tom's role in the lie was revealed and Mickey turned against his whole family. In the aftermath, Mickey suffered a nervous breakdown and was admitted to Bayview Sanitarium. During his time in the hospital, he exhibited extreme violence, attempting to strangle two blonde nurses whom he mistakenly believed were Laura. Eventually, with the support of his doctor, Marlena Evans, Mickey began to recover. Tom began to heal his family by moving forward with honesty and support for his loved ones. Tom and Alice welcomed another granddaughter in 1976, Jennifer Rose Horton was born to Bill and Laura. Tom and Alice were present this year when Julie finally married the love of her life Doug. Over the years, Tom developed a heart condition that made him susceptible to heart attacks.
Nevertheless, he maintained his faith in God. This unwavering belief made him particularly distressed when Alice's faith began to wane following her cancer diagnosis. However, Tom's steadfast faith ultimately rekindled hers. Fortunately, it was later revealed that the diagnosis had been erroneous; Alice did not have cancer. Unfortunately, some time later, Tom experienced a heart attack upon returning home from work. Thankfully, Tommy discovered him in time and was able to save his life. Although Tom's situation appeared dire, he and Alice, bolstered by their faith in God, managed to navigate this challenge together with their family. Tom and Alice also welcomed their first great great grandchild when Timmy Banning (later Scotty Banning) was born to Trish Clayton and David Banning. Melissa Horton had also returned to Salem with Linda and grew very close with the Horton's.
Tom and Alice supported their families through many tragedies, including in 1979 when Laura had a mental breakdown after the death of her mother and the revelation that Bill had an affair with Kate Winograd. Laura was hospitalized in a mental institution where she would remain for years, Marie returned to Salem in 1979 to support her parents, but was harboring a secret, she had secretly given birth to a child and gave it up for adoption.
In 1980, Tom and Alice celebrated their 50th anniversary surrounded by their family and friends. It was an important moment for the Horton's as this would be the last time they were all together as a large family. Bill left town to take care of Laura. Tommy moved in Hawaii, and Mike later left to go to medical school. Tom gained a granddaughter when Marie found her daughter Jessica Blake who was found living in Salem. The girl had many problems, including suffering from multiple personality disorder. She moved in with Tom and Alice, and they tried their best to support the girl, whom would later get involved with Jake Kositchek aka the Salem Strangler, whom their great grandson David was suspected of being for a time.
Throughout the 80s Tom and Alice would continue supporting their family and grandchildren. Bill and Laura's daughter Jennifer Rose moved in with Tom and Alice after she ran away from boarding school. Much like with Julie, Jennifer needs the stability that Tom and Alice gave.
In 1985, Tom was once again sued for malpractice when he inadvertently killed Paul Selejko trying to save his life. Tom and Alice had been driving to Blondie's for a New Year's party when they watched the Anderson Manufacturing plant explode, and a man engulfed in flames run out of the inferno. He had tried to save the man by giving him an injection of morphine, but it killed him because he was allergic to it. Speed Selejko, Paul's son, sued Tom because he claimed that his father had always worn his Medic-Alert bracelet. The case presented by Speed's lawyer, Gwen Davies, was that Tom had accidentally killed Paul and, seeing his mistake, gotten rid of the Medic-Alert bracelet. Evidence that the bracelet had not been on Paul's person and Alice's own account of what happened caused the lawsuit to be dismissed.
In 1988, Tom began composing poetry and performing it under the pseudonym Norm de Plume, sneaking out at night to share his work at Calliope Jones Bradford's Beat Bar. Alice grew increasingly suspicious of his late-night outings and eventually confronted him, believing he was being unfaithful. In response, Tom revealed his secret passion for the Bohemian lifestyle and took her to the Beat Bar, where he recited a love poem he had written for her. Shortly thereafter, Alice learned that her marriage to Tom was not legally valid, as the minister who officiated their wedding had been a fraud. Tom confessed that he had been aware of this all along. Despite her distress, he proposed to her again, and they celebrated their marriage anew in front of their family.
In 1990, Alice joined Jennifer on a mission to deceive Lawrence Alamain, assuming the identity of Cecily Smythe. During their time there, Lawrence ensnared everyone in his basement by staging a false earthquake, resulting in Alice sustaining injuries. Tom expressed concern for the safety of both Alice and Jennifer. Fortunately, they both survived and made their way back to Salem.
In 1991, Alice partnered with her daughter-in-law, Maggie Horton Kiriakis, to establish a restaurant aimed at generating funds for the construction of a trauma center at University Hospital, which Tom managed. Subsequently, in 1993, Alice and Tom launched the Horton Center from their home. This center offered shelter and assistance to runaway teens and families in distress. Shortly thereafter, Tom experienced another stroke, underwent a complex surgery, and made a full recovery just in time to celebrate Christmas with his family.
In 1994, Tom dedicated months to relentless work and extensive travel to various medical conferences, as actor Macdonald Carey had fallen ill and was unable to perform, leading to his character being frequently depicted as on a business trip. Tragically, Macdonald Carey passed away in March 1994. Following this immense pressure, Tom returned home from a medical conference in May and immediately went to bed for a nap. Alice discovered him lying peacefully on their bed, having suffered a heart attack in his sleep. Many of Tom's loved ones came to bid him farewell.In 2024, Tom appears in flashbacks as the family remanences on the good times while salvaging through the charred remains of the Horton House. In further flashbacks, he is played by Zach Chyz where Tom and Alice are young and struggle until they buy the house for them and their children.
