John L. Dawson

John Littleton Dawson (February 7, 1813 – September 18, 1870) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

John L. Dawson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
In office March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867
Preceded by	James K. Moorhead
Succeeded by	John Covode
Constituency	21st district
In office March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855
Preceded by	Andrew J. Ogle
Succeeded by	Jonathan Knight
Constituency	18th district (1851–1853) 20th district (1853–1855)
Personal details
Born	(1813-02-07)February 7, 1813 Uniontown, Pennsylvania, US
Died	September 18, 1870(1870-09-18) (aged 57) Springfield Township, Pennsylvania, US
Political party	Democratic

Early life and education

Dawson was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Washington College with a degree in law, was granted admission to the bar in 1835, and ran a small law practice. He served as deputy attorney general for Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in 1838, and as district attorney for the western district of Pennsylvania from 1845 until 1848.

Political career

In 1848, he unsuccessfully ran for congress as a Democrat, but on subsequent attempts he was elected and served in the 32nd and 33rd congresses, from March 4, 1851, until March 3, 1855, when he stepped down, declining the nomination for the next term. While serving as a congressman he was the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture.

During his time away from congress, President Franklin Pierce offered him the governorship of Kansas Territory, but he declined so that he could run for congress again, which he was elected to again in 1863, and served on the 38th and 39th congresses from March 4, 1863, until March 3, 1867. His vote on the Thirteenth Amendment is recorded as nay.

He was a delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1844, 1848, 1860, 1868.

He retired to his home in Springfield Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where he died at age 57. He was interred at Christ Episcopal Churchyard in Brownsville.

In 1860, he was honored as the namesake of Dawson County, Nebraska, in what was then Nebraska Territory.

Sources

• United States Congress. "John L. Dawson (id: D000153)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• The Political Graveyard
• Infoplease: John Littleton Dawson biography
• Nebraska State Historical Society timeline http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/timeline/dawson-john-l.htm