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Nathan F. Dixon III

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Nathan Fellows Dixon III
Black and white 1899 head and shoulders photo of Nathan Fellows Dixon III in suit and cravat, looking left
From 1899's The Harvey Book
United States Senator
from Rhode Island
In office
April 10, 1889 – March 3, 1895
Preceded byJonathan Chace
Succeeded byGeorge P. Wetmore
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Rhode Island's 2nd district
In office
February 12, 1885 – March 3, 1885
Preceded byJonathan Chace
Succeeded byWilliam Almy Pirce
Member of the Rhode Island Senate from Westerly
In office
1886–1889
Preceded byAlbert L. Chester
Succeeded byGeorge H. Utter
United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island
In office
March 1, 1877 – March 22, 1885
Preceded byJohn A. Gardner
Succeeded byDavid S. Baker Jr.
Personal details
Born(1847-08-28)August 28, 1847
Westerly, Rhode Island, US
DiedNovember 8, 1897(1897-11-08) (aged 50)
Westerly, Rhode Island, US
Resting placeRiver Bend Cemetery, Westerly, Rhode Island, US
Political partyRepublican
SpouseGrace McClure (m. 1873)
EducationBrown University
Albany Law School
ProfessionAttorney
Signature

Nathan Fellows Dixon III (August 28, 1847 – November 8, 1897) was a United States representative and Senator from Rhode Island.

Early life

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Dixon was born in Westerly, Rhode Island on August 28, 1847.[1] He attended the local schools and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.[1] Dixon graduated from Brown University with a AB degree in 1869, studied law with his father, then completed his legal studies at Albany Law School (Albany, New York) in 1871.[1][2] While at Brown, Dixon became a member of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity.[2]

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Dixon was admitted to the bar in 1871, commenced practice in Westerly, and grew his legal business to include Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.[1] As a partner in the firm of Dixon & Perrin, Dixon became a noted corporate attorney and his clients included the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad.[2] From 1877 to 1885 he was United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island.[1]

Dixon was also active in several businesses, including serving as president of the Dixon Granite Works and the Washington National Bank of Westerly.[2] In addition, he served on the board of directors of several corporations, including the Pawcatuck Valley Railway and Providence & Stonington Steamship Company.[2] Dixon also participated in Freemasonry, and was a member of the lodge in Westerly, as well Stonington's Palmer Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons and Westerly's commandery of the Knights Templar.[2]

Political career

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Dixon was elected as a Republican to the Forty-eighth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Jonathan Chace and served from February 12 to March 3, 1885; he was not a candidate for re-nomination.[1] Dixon was a member of the Rhode Island Senate from 1886 to 1889.[1] He was elected to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Jonathan Chace and served from April 10, 1889, to March 3, 1895; he was not a candidate for reelection.[1] While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on Patents (52nd Congress).[3]

Death and burial

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After leaving the Senate, Dixon resumed the practice of law and his business and banking interests, and maintained a farm on which he bred cattle as a hobby.[2] In addition, he was a member of the state Board of Charities and Corrections, and a member of the commission created to revise the state constitution.[2]

Dixon died in Westerly on November 8, 1897.[1] He was buried at River Bend Cemetery in Westerly.[1]

Family

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Nathan Fellows Dixon III was the son of Representative Nathan F. Dixon II and Harriet Palmer Swan Dixon.[1] He was a grandson of Senator Nathan F. Dixon I.[1] In 1873, he married Grace McClure of Albany, New York. They remained married until his death and had no children.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Brown, Cyrus Henry (1915). Brown Genealogy. Vol. Part II: Browne Genealogy. Boston, MA: The Everett Press. pp. 340–342 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island. Vol. I. Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co. 1908. pp. 186–188 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Joint Committee on Printing, U.S. Congress (2005). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 966. ISBN 978-0-1607-3176-1 – via Google Books.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district
February 12, 1885 – March 3, 1885 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 2) from Rhode Island
April 10, 1889 – March 3, 1895
Served alongside: Nelson W. Aldrich 		Succeeded by
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