Thomas Dawson was an

Anglican priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

and the fourth president of

The College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institut ...

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It had a population of 15,425 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern par ...

(1755–1760).William & Mary — 18th Century Presidents
Retrieved on March 10, 2009. He is also the brother of William Dawson, who was the second president of William & Mary (1743–1752).President Thomas Dawson
Retrieved on March 10, 2009. He was educated at William & Mary and also held several religious positions, including being an Anglican clergyman, rector of the

Bruton Parish Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1674 by the consolidation of two previous parishes in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Epis ...

, and commissary of the

Bishop of London The bishop of London is the Ordinary (church officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723. The diocese covers of 17 boroughs o ...

. Dawson was also a member of the Governor's Council and master of the Indian School at the College. In 1752 Dawson married Priscilla Bassett, the daughter of Colonel William Bassett. Dawson died on November 29, 1760, reportedly in Williamsburg. Dawson and his brother are together namesakes of a residence hall at William & Mary.

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Biography
at

Encyclopedia Virginia Virginia Humanities (VH), formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, is a humanities council whose stated mission is to develop the civic, cultural, and intellectual life of the Commonwealth of Virginia by creating learning opportunities f ...

18th-century American Episcopal priests College of William & Mary alumni College of William & Mary faculty Presidents of the College of William & Mary Year of birth missing 1760 deaths {{US-academic-administrator-18C-stub