William Dawson (March 17, 1848 – October 12, 1929) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. Born in New Madrid, Missouri, Dawson was graduated from Christian Brothers' College in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

in 1869. Dawson was elected

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

and collector of

New Madrid County ; french: Comté de New Madrid) is a county located in the Bootheel of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,434. The largest city and county seat is New Madrid, located on the northern side of the Kentucky Bend ...

in 1870 and 1872. He served as a member of the state House of Representatives in 1878–1884. Dawson was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

49th Congress The 49th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885, ...

from

Missouri's 14th congressional district The 14th congressional district of Missouri was a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in Missouri from 1883 to 1933. List of members representing the district References Election Statistics 1920-presentCle ...

, serving from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1887. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1886. He engaged in the land business in New Madrid and served as clerk of the New Madrid County Circuit Court of 1915–1927. He died in New Madrid in 1929 and is interred in Evergreen Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawson, William 1848 births 1929 deaths Democratic Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives People from New Madrid, Missouri Missouri sheriffs County clerks in Missouri Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri