In 1844 Lewis was appointed by his brother-in-law GovernorBenjamin Fitzpatrick to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William R. King in 1844. He was reelected as the Democratic candidate in 1847 and served from April 22, 1844, until his death in New York City on October 25, 1848. In the Senate he served as chairman of the Finance Committee from 1845 to 1847. He was appointed to the Board of Visitors of West Point in 1847.[2] Also in 1847 he bought at Baltimore "fifteen or twenty thousand dollars worth of Negroes for use of himself and his son, on their plantations, at home."[2]
A strikingly obese figure, Lewis was known to weigh as much as 500 pounds (227 kg), making him the heaviest member of Congress ever. A specially-constructed seat was provided in the Senate chambers for him, and his carriage was fitted with unusually heavy suspension springs. According to the WPAFederal Writers' Project publication Alabama: A Guide to the Deep South, a popular witticism among Lewis's colleagues was the observation that Alabama had the largest representation of any state.
^ ab"Dixon H. Lewis". The State Guard. 1847-08-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
Alabama State Planning Commission. (1941) Alabama: A Guide to the Deep South. American Guide Series. Compiled by Workers of the Writer's Project of the Works Projects Administration in the State of Alabama.
dixon, lewis, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, march, 2013, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, dixon. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations March 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Dixon Hall Lewis August 10 1802 October 25 1848 was an American politician who served as a Representative and a Senator from Alabama Dixon Hall LewisUnited States Senatorfrom AlabamaIn office April 22 1844 October 25 1848Preceded byWilliam R KingSucceeded byBenjamin FitzpatrickDean of the United States House of RepresentativesIn office March 4 1843 April 22 1844Preceded byLewis WilliamsSucceeded byJohn Quincy AdamsMember of theU S House of Representativesfrom AlabamaIn office March 4 1829 April 22 1844Preceded byGeorge Washington OwenSucceeded byWilliam Lowndes YanceyConstituency3rd district 1829 1833 4th district 1833 1841 at large district 1841 1843 3rd district 1843 1844 Member of the Alabama House of RepresentativesIn office 1826 1828Personal detailsBorn 1802 08 10 August 10 1802Dinwiddie County Virginia U S DiedOctober 25 1848 1848 10 25 aged 46 New York New York U S Political partyDemocraticAlma materSouth Carolina College Contents 1 Life and career 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksLife and career editLewis was born on Bothwick plantation Dinwiddie County Virginia and moved to Hancock County Georgia with his parents in 1806 He graduated from Mount Zion Academy and from South Carolina College at Columbia in 1820 He moved to Autauga County Alabama the same year where he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1823 That same year he constructed a house Old Homestead in the town of Lowndesboro Alabama twenty miles west of the state capitol in Montgomery He began to practice law in Montgomery and was elected a member of the Alabama House of Representatives in 1826 serving until 1828 He was elected as a States Rights Democrat to the twenty first and to the seven succeeding Congresses and served from March 4 1829 to April 22 1844 when he resigned the House to join the Senate He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Indian Affairs from 1831 to 1835 He was nearly elected Speaker of the House in the 26th Congress receiving 113 votes on the 8th ballot just four votes short of the necessary 117 needed to be elected Robert M T Hunter was elected on the 11th ballot 1 nbsp Dixon H Lewis s house in Lowndesboro Alabama 1935In 1844 Lewis was appointed by his brother in law Governor Benjamin Fitzpatrick to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William R King in 1844 He was reelected as the Democratic candidate in 1847 and served from April 22 1844 until his death in New York City on October 25 1848 In the Senate he served as chairman of the Finance Committee from 1845 to 1847 He was appointed to the Board of Visitors of West Point in 1847 2 Also in 1847 he bought at Baltimore fifteen or twenty thousand dollars worth of Negroes for use of himself and his son on their plantations at home 2 A strikingly obese figure Lewis was known to weigh as much as 500 pounds 227 kg making him the heaviest member of Congress ever A specially constructed seat was provided in the Senate chambers for him and his carriage was fitted with unusually heavy suspension springs According to the WPA Federal Writers Project publication Alabama A Guide to the Deep South a popular witticism among Lewis s colleagues was the observation that Alabama had the largest representation of any state Lewis is interred at Green Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn New York See also editList of United States Congress members who died in office 1790 1899 References edit The Life of Representative Dixon Hall Lewis of Alabama Office of the Historian a b Dixon H Lewis The State Guard 1847 08 03 p 1 Retrieved 2023 09 18 Alabama State Planning Commission 1941 Alabama A Guide to the Deep South American Guide Series Compiled by Workers of the Writer s Project of the Works Projects Administration in the State of Alabama United States Congress Dixon H Lewis id L000278 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress External links editGreen Wood Cemetery Burial SearchU S House of RepresentativesPreceded byGeorge Washington Owen Member of the U S House of Representatives from Alabama s 3rd congressional districtMarch 4 1829 March 3 1833 Succeeded bySamuel Wright MardisPreceded by none Member of the U S House of Representatives from Alabama s 4th congressional districtMarch 4 1833 March 3 1841 Succeeded byWilliam Winter PaynePreceded by none Member of the U S House of Representatives from Alabama s at large congressional districtMarch 4 1841 March 3 1843 Succeeded by none Preceded byGeorge Whitfield Crabb Member of the U S House of Representatives from Alabama s 3rd congressional districtMarch 4 1843 April 22 1844 Succeeded byWilliam Lowndes YanceyU S SenatePreceded byWilliam R King U S senator Class 2 from AlabamaApril 22 1844 October 25 1848 Served alongside Arthur P Bagby and William R King Succeeded byBenjamin FitzpatrickPolitical officesPreceded byJohn C CalhounSouth Carolina Chairman of the U S Senate Committee on Finance1846 1847 Succeeded byCharles AthertonNew Hampshire Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dixon H Lewis amp oldid 1177643117, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,