William Dawson (college president)
Encyclopedia
Reverend William Dawson was the second president of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia
. A graduate of the Queen's College at Oxford University, Dawson ran the College from 1743–1752. He is also the brother of Thomas Dawson
, who was the fourth president of William & Mary (1755–1760).
Dawson was also an Anglican clergyman, a rector at the Jamestown Parish, a commissary of the Bishop of London, a moral philosophy professor at William and Mary, a poet, a chaplain of the House of Burgesses
, and a member of the Governor's Council.
Reverend Dawson is the namesake for Dawson Hall in the Bryan Complex at William & Mary.
Dawson married Mary Stith, a granddaughter of John Stith
and William Randolph
. He was the grandfather of Congressman William Johnston Dawson.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. A graduate of the Queen's College at Oxford University, Dawson ran the College from 1743–1752. He is also the brother of Thomas Dawson
Thomas Dawson (college president)
Reverend Thomas Dawson was the fourth president of The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia . He is also the brother of William Dawson, who was the second president of William & Mary...
, who was the fourth president of William & Mary (1755–1760).
Dawson was also an Anglican clergyman, a rector at the Jamestown Parish, a commissary of the Bishop of London, a moral philosophy professor at William and Mary, a poet, a chaplain of the House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first assembly of elected representatives of English colonists in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, who created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America...
, and a member of the Governor's Council.
Reverend Dawson is the namesake for Dawson Hall in the Bryan Complex at William & Mary.
Dawson married Mary Stith, a granddaughter of John Stith
John Stith
John Stith was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and the progenitor of the Stith family, one of the first families of Virginia.Stith ancestors were likely from the area of Kirkham in Lancashire, England. Stith settled in Charles City County, Virginia sometime after coming to the colony...
and William Randolph
William Randolph
William Randolph was a colonist and land owner who played an important role in the history and government of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He moved to Virginia sometime between 1669 and 1673, and married Mary Isham a few years later...
. He was the grandfather of Congressman William Johnston Dawson.