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.
The William A. Dawson papers (1902-1971) concentrate on Dawson's last three terms in the U. S. House of Representatives (1952-1958). The first section of the collection is composed of personal and political materials. These include correspondence with his wife, daughters, and brothers. There is also a twenty-six page autobiographical sketch written in 1970, and campaign literature from the 1954 and 1956 elections.
Following the personal and political materials, is the UCRSP file. This is the only subject file which remains from Dawson's tenure in Congress. In his autobiographical sketch Dawson noted that he specifically preserved this file and donated it to the library because of the Colorado River Project's great importance to the state of Utah. The UCRSP file includes correspondence between Dawson and his constituents, his colleagues, conservation groups, and numerous local groups who supported the project. Also included are several versions of the House bill authorizing the project, informal vote tallies, notes on strategy for management of the bill on the House floor, government reports, maps, and cost estimates. There are materials from the propaganda campaign waged by supporters and opponents of the bill, including brochures and pamphlets published by the Upper Colorado River Grass Roots, Inc. Information on the individual units within the project, such as Flaming Gorge Dam, Glen Canyon Dam, the Gooseberry Project, and the Central Utah Project have been filed separately.
The final portion of the collection is the correspondence file. The file consists of the carbon copies of letters sent form the congressman's office from 1953-1958. The letters are arranged alphabetically by last name of addressee. Most of the letters are replies to constituent correspondence expressing Dawson's position on certain issues or providing specific information about problems. The issues which appear most frequently are the condition of the led-zinc industry, the humane slaughter bill, the foreign orphans bill and the UCRSP. Other letters are replies to Dawson's congressional colleagues, officials in the federal government, and political supporters in Utah. Some letters concern Dawson's personal business affairs and problems of political patronage.
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0031).
Processed by Susan M. Neel in 1979.
This folder contains two short sketches of Dawson, describing his accomplishements in the US House of Representatives. It contains an autobiographical sketch signed by Dawson. This folder also contains
This folder contains Dawson's correspondence with his wife, Gladys, his daughters Billy and Diane, and his brothers Elias and Ray.
This folder contains Dawson's 1954 campaign literature.
This folder contains Dawson's 1956 campaign materials.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and presidential assistants Wilson B. Persons and Homer H. Gruenther.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and the Departments of the State, Agriculture, and Atomic Energy Commission, and the Federal Power Commission.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Wilbur A. Dexheimer.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Secretary of Interior Fred Seaton and Chief Counsel Elmer Bennett. Also included is a copy of a letter from Secretary of Interior Douglas McKay to President Eisenhower.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Wallace F. Bennett, Arthur V. Watkins, and Henry Aldous Dixon.
This folder contains correspondence betwen Dawson and his colleagues, asking for their support for his project.
These folders contain correspondence between Dawson and his congressional colleagues.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Governor J. Bracken Lee, members of of the Utah State Senate, Republican and Democratic party officials.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Governor Milward L. Simpson of Wyoming, Governor Edwin C. Johnson of Colorado, and Governor John F. Simms of New Mexico.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Ival V. Goslin, secreatry, and John Geoffrey Will, general counsel to the Upper Colorado River Commission.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and the National Rural Electrification Cooperative Assoaiction, the Colorado State association of REA Cooperative and the Intermountain REA Borrowers Association.
This folder contains corressspondence between Dawson and the Wildlife Conservation Club, the American Association for Conservation Information, the Garden Clubs of America, the Conservation Foundation, American Planning and Civic Association, Trustees for Conservation, Wildlife Management Institute, Outdoor Writers Association of Ameria, Rederation of Western Outdoor Clubs, and Forest Conservation Society of America.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Tom Bolack chairman, and Sterling E. Price, education committee chairman, and other members of the Aqualantes.
These folders contains correspondence between Dawson and the advertising agency employed to plan the public campaign in favor of the project. Included are correspondence between Dawson and David W. Evans and L. Glen Snarr.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and members of the press, concerning the controversy surrounding the UCRSP. Included are letters from O. N. Malmquist, political editor of the
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and television stations throughout the country, concerning an attack on the Glen Canyon Dam project by Representative Craig Hosmer of California. Dawson reqursted equal time to reply to the criticisms.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and the Salt Lake County Water Conservancy District, Colorado River Water Users Association, Uintah County Water Users, Colorado Water Conservation Board, and Utah Water Users Association.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and private power companies, including Utah Power and Light, and GarKane Power Company, concerning power generation in the UCRSP.
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Paul Jones, Chairman of the Navajo Tribal Counsil concerning the impact of the UCRSP on the Navajo Tribe.
This folder contains correspondence and petitions from the Utah Associated Gardens Clubs, Men's Gardens Clubs of Salt Lake, and the Utah Council of State Garden Clubs.
This folder contains correspondence concerning union support of the UCRSP.
This folder contains correspondence with President J. Richard Palmer of the Westminster College, Dean R. H. Walker of the Utah State University, and R. O. Porter, President of the Utah State University Alumni Association expressing support for the project.
This folder contains correspondence of support from the Utah Junior, Kaysville Junior, Ephraim Junior, Salt Lake, and Provo Chamber of Commerce.
These folders contain correspondence of support from the private buisness sector in Utah and Colorado.
This folder contains correspondence of support from Utah and Colorado clubs.
This folder contains correspondence and petitions in support of Dawson's project.
This folder contians correspondence transmitting Woodbury's manuscript for
This folder contains correspondence between Dawson and Roosevelt, concerning her public statement opposing the Echo Park Dam.
These folders contain correspondence from Utah residents expressing their opinion of the UCRSP.
These folders contain correspondence from residents of states other than Utah, expressing their opinion of the UCRSP, particularly opposition to the Echo Park Dam.
This folder contains memos from Sidney L. McFarland, Irrigation Consultant, House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee to members of the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation. also included is a memo from Secretary of Interior Oscar L. Chapman to the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation and Director of the National Park Service concerning construction of dams in Dinosaur National Monument. Finally, there is a memo from Ival V. Goslin to members of Congress describing the agricultural benefits of the UCRSP.
This folder contains lists of congressmen showing their probable vote on the UCRSP. These lists were used to assess support for the project and to determine which congressmen needed to be contacted by the bill managers in order to be pursuaded to vote for the bill.
This folder contains notes and lists concerning luncheon meetings held by congressional supporters of the UCRSP.
This folder contains proxies given by several members of the House to Dawson.
This folder contains printed copies of various bills concerning the UCRSP.
This folder conatins a comparison of several versions of the House bill and a comparison of the bill passed by the Senate and the proposed House bill.
This folder contains amendments to the various bills proposed by Governor Johnson, Northcutt Ely, the Upper Colorado River Commission and others.
These folders contain pamphlets and brochures advocating passage of the UCRSP. Folders 16-17 contain packets of information distributed to members of Congress by those who supported the project. Many of these materials were projected by the Upper Colorado River Grass Roots, Inc.
This folder contains newspaper and magazine articles and phamphlets distibuted by those opposed to the UCRSP.
This folder contains notes from congressional hearings, short statements, and miscellaneous pieces of information used in support of the project.
This folder contains figures on the cost, financing, and repyament of the participating projects.
These folders contain statements concerning the UCRSP from Representative Graig Hosmer, President Eisenhower, E. O. Larson, and others. Included is a statement on the importance of the project to national security and defense by Val Peterson, Administrator of the Civil Defense Administration.
This folder contains an analysis of House voting patterns on various reclamation projects including the Prying Pan, Arkansas Project.
This folder contains a compilation of comments on the construction of the Hoover Dam, prepared by the Library of Congress Legislative Reference Service.
This is a compilation of facts and statements in support of the project prepared by George Dewey Clyde.
This is a summary of facts concerning the project, it was used by Dawson during the floor debates.
This contains letters concerning permits to operate concessions at Glen Canyon and Flaming Gorge reservoirs.
This folder contians the Bureau of Reclamation jobs announcements for construction workers.
These folders contain correspondence from various Utah groups, urging construction of the Central Utah Project.
This folder contains correspondence urging construction of the Emery Project.
This folder contains correspondence concerning the location of the twon of Dutch John and the bids for furnishing power to the construction site.
These folders contains correspondence concerning the contsruction of Glen Canyon Dam and the location of the townsite of Page, Arizona.
The first five pages of this scrapbook include Dawson's certificates of election , Bishop's Certificat, and a Seventies Certificate of Ordination. Following thses are pictures of William A. Dawson, Sr., and William A. Dawson Jr.'s report card from 1915-1916. The remaining pages contain clippings from Layton and Salt Lake City newspapers, and a few pieces of campaign literature.
These scarpbooks contain clippings from the Congressional Records, Salt Lake City, and Washington D. C. newspapers. Also included are a few pieces of campaign literature and invitations to the 1953 residential naugural.
These scrapbooks contain clippings from Utah and Washington D. C. newspapers. Also included are several pictures of Congressman Dawson.
These scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and campaign literature from Dawson's 1954 campaign against Reva Beck Bosone, and his 1858 campaign against David S. King. Also included are campaign leterature from Oscar W. McConkie.