Dexter Mason Ferry Jr. (November 22, 1873 – December 7, 1959) was an American politician from

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Early life

Dexter M. Ferry Jr. was born on November 22, 1873, in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, the son of Dexter M. Ferry and Addie Miller Ferry. He attended school in

Lawrenceville, New Jersey Lawrenceville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

, then graduated from high school in Detroit in 1892. After graduation, he entered the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, but a back injury interrupted his studies in his junior year. He continued his studies two years later at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, graduating in 1898 with a bachelor of arts degree.

Business

After completing college, he began working for his father, first as treasurer for the National Pin Company and then, in 1900, at a position at D.M. Ferry & Co. In 1901 he was elected a director of the firm. In 1905 he became a director of the Standard Accident Insurance Company. In 1907, on the death of his father, the younger Ferry was appointed the executor of his estate. Ferry followed his father as president of D.M. Ferry & Co. He was also president of Standard Accident Insurance Company, vice-president of the Standard Insurance Company, and president of the Michigan Fire & Marine Insurance Co. In addition to these offices, he was a director of the First National Savings Bank of Detroit, the Wayne County Savings Bank, the Security Trust Company of Detroit, and Michigan Savings Bank.

Personal life

Ferry married Jeannette Hawkins on October 1, 1907. The couple had four children: Dexter, Edith, Jean, and William Hawkins. The Ferrys resided in both Detroit and

Grosse Pointe, Michigan Grosse Pointe is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,678. Grosse Pointe is an eastern suburb of Metro Detroit along La ...

Public service

In 1900, Ferry was elected to the

Michigan State House of Representatives Michigan ( ) is a peninsular state in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, Indiana and Illinois to the southwest, Ohio ...

as a representative from Wayne County, and served for two terms through 1904. He was president of the

Michigan State Board of Education Michigan ( ) is a peninsular state in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, Indiana and Illinois to the southwest, Ohio t ...

from 1906 through 1912. He was one of the founders of the Provident Loan and Savings Society in 1906, along with Tracy W. McGregor, J. L. Hudson, and James Ingles,Philip P. Mason, ''Tracy W. McGregor'' (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2008), 120. and was a trustee of Grace Hospital. Like his father, Ferry supported the

Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a museum institution located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It has list of largest art museums, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it cove ...

, and sat on its board for many years, including serving from 1914 to 1917 as board president. In 1917, just before the United States joined in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Ferry joined the Army Quartermaster's Reserve Corps as a captain. He was later ordered to active duty at

Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is a United States Army, U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. "Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview), US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam", it is named for the first president o ...

and then to the Motor Convoy Service in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Ferry was honorably discharged in March 1919 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1950, Ferry commissioned

Marcel Breuer Marcel Lajos Breuer ( ; 21 May 1902 – 1 July 1981) was a Hungarian-American modernist architect and furniture designer. He moved to the United States in 1937 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1944. At the Bauhaus he designed the Was ...

to design a small dormitory, known as Ferry Cooperative House, at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

; the building was opened in 1951.

Death

Dexter M. Ferry died On December 7, 1959, aged 85, and was interred at

Woodmere Cemetery Woodmere Cemetery is at West Fort Street and Woodmere Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, in the neighborhood of Springwells Village in what was originally the township of Springwells. Woodmere Cemetery is operated by the Midwest Memorial Group. Hist ...

, Detroit.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferry, Dexter M. 1873 births 1959 deaths American businesspeople Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Politicians from Detroit People from Grosse Pointe, Michigan University of Michigan alumni People associated with the Detroit Institute of Arts Columbia College (New York) alumni 20th-century members of the Michigan Legislature