Dawson, William A., 1902-

William A. Dawson (1903-1981) was born on 5 November 1903 in Layton, Utah. His father, also named William A. Dawson, was a clerk in the Farmers' Union Store in Layton. The elder Dawson died of typhoid in 1903, three months before William was born. Dawson's mother, Ella Rose, was left alone to support her three boys. The family lived in Layton, but worked a dry farm in Syracuse, five miles west of Layton. Young William was educated in Layton's public schools, and graduated from Davis High in 1921. He entered the University of Utah the following fall, enrolling in the pre-medicine program. He soon changed his mind and entered the law school. He received his LLB in 1926, at the age of twenty-two. Following his graduation from law school, Dawson was elected Davis County attorney. He also established a private practice in Salt Lake with his partner Dale G. Foote. This partnership lasted twenty-one years.

In November 1927, Dawson married Gladys Norton. They settled in Layton, but Dawson was soon called to serve a mission to England for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). He spent his first year in the Manchester District, but later presided over the Sheffield District. At the conclusion of his mission, Dawson was joined in England by his wife. They toured Scotland, Holland, Germany, France, and Italy, before returning to Layton.

After their return, Dawson resumed his law practice and was again elected County Attorney. He was re-elected in 1934. Following his retirement form this position, in 1936, Dawson was elected mayor of Layton. He also served as chairman of the Davis County Republican Party, first president of the Davis County Bar Association, president of the Layton Kiwanis Club and city attorney for Layton and Kaysville. He became Bishop of the Layton Ward in 1938. In 1940 Dawson was elected to the Utah state senate, where he served until 1946.

Dawson's congressional career began in 1946, when he ran for the Second Congressional District seat. He defeated J. Will Robinson, who had represented the district for sixteen years. In 1956 the Republicans gained the majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in over twenty years. Dawson was given a choice seat on the Interior Affairs Committee and on the Subcommittees for Mining, Reclamation, Indian Affairs, and Insular Affairs. He was also named a member of the Republican Executive Committee.

In 1948, Dawson was defeated for re-election by Salt Lake City Judge Reva Beck Bosone. He returned to Utah where he accepted a position as State Welfare Commissioner under Republican Governor J. Bracken Lee. Dawson ran for Congress again in 1952, opposing Congresswoman Bosone, who was seeking a third term. Dawson was elected and moved his family to Washington, D. C. He was re-elected in 1954, deveating Reva Beck Bosone, and in 1956, defeating Oscar McConkie. He lost his seat to David S. King in 1958.

During his eight years in Congress, Dawson's most well known accomplishment was his role in passage of the Upper Colorado River Storage Project (UCRSP). This huge reclamation project was designed to enable the upper basin states to utilize their share of water allocated under the 1922 Colorado River Compact. Congressman Dawson was the Republican leader in the House assigned to manage the fight for the legislation authorizing the project. After several years of intense debate the Upper Colorado River Storage Project Bill was passed in 1956. Following the bill's passage Dawson was active in efforts to fund the various elements or participation projects, including Flaming Gorge, Glen Canyon and the Central Utah Project.

After his defeat in 1958, Dawson became president of the Bank of Kearns and later vice president of Zions Bank. He retired in January 1970. He died in Salt Lake City on 7 November 1981 and was buried in the Kaysville Cemetery.

From the guide to the William A. Dawson papers, 1902-1971, (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)