Elisha Dyer Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 45th Governor of Rhode Island | |
| In office May 25, 1897 – May 29, 1900 | |
| Lieutenant | Aram J. Pothier William Gregory |
| Preceded by | Charles W. Lippitt |
| Succeeded by | William Gregory |
| 23rd Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island | |
| In office January 1906 – November 29, 1906 | |
| Preceded by | Augustus S. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Patrick J. McCarthy |
| Member of theRhode Island Senate | |
| In office 1877–1904 | |
| Member of theRhode Island House of Representatives | |
| In office 1882 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1839-11-29)November 29, 1839 Providence, Rhode Island, US |
| Died | November 29, 1906(1906-11-29) (aged 67) Providence, Rhode Island, US |
| Resting place | Swan Point Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Nancy A. Viall |
| Parent(s) | Elisha Dyer, Anna Jones Hoppin |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army Union Army |
| Unit | Rhode Island Militia 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery |
| Commands | Providence Marine Corps of Artillery |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Elisha Dyer Jr. (November 29, 1839 – November 29, 1906) was aRhode Island politician who was 45thGovernor of Rhode Island from 1897 to 1900. He was the son ofElisha Dyer, Governor of Rhode Island from 1857 to 1859.
Dyer was born inProvidence, Rhode Island. He was the son of Rhode Island GovernorElisha Dyer (1811–1890) and Anna Jones (née Hoppin) Dyer (1815–1884). His siblings included George Rathbun Dyer (1834–1851), Anna Jones Dyer Hubbard (1844–1884), Gabriel Bernon Dyer (1847–1902), and William Jones Dyer (1850–1915).[1]
He earned a bachelor's degree inchemistry fromBrown University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from theUniversity of Giessen. While attending Brown, he joined theZeta Psi fraternity.[2]
Dyer's military career began in October 1856 when he enlisted in the First Light Infantry, a prestigious unit of the Rhode Island Militia located in Providence. On April 8, 1858 he was appointed by his father as a colonel and aide-de-camp on his father's military staff. He relinquished the position when his father left office in May 1859.
On the outbreak of the Civil War, Dyer enlisted as the 4th sergeant of the 1st Light Artillery Battery of Rhode Island on April 15, 1861. Sergeant Dyer was sent with the battery toEaston, Pennsylvania to train other volunteer artillery units. Dyer was discharged shortly after his arrival due to accidental injuries he suffered after an explosion of a limber chest, on April 21, 1861.
On September 28, 1861 he was commissioned lieutenant and commissary of theProvidence Marine Corps of Artillery. He was promoted to captain on April 28, 1862 and to major on June 7, 1862. He also served as military aide-de-camp to GovernorJames Y. Smith, with the rank of colonel, from May 26, 1863 to May 29, 1866.
On June 7, 1869 he was elected lieutenant colonel commanding the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery, serving until April 24, 1871. He was re-elected as lieutenant colonel of the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery on April 29, 1872 and served until April 27, 1874. On May 10, 1875 he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel and was placed in command of 1st Battalion of Light Artillery and served until May 13, 1878.
On February 7, 1882, Dyer was appointed as adjutant general of the Rhode Island Militia and was promoted to the rank ofbrigadier general. He held this position until October 31, 1895 when he retired at his own request. His 13 years in office was one of the longest tenures in that position.
Dyer was elected to theRhode Island Senate in 1877 and to theRhode Island House of Representatives in 1882. He then served as Adjutant General of Rhode Island, with the rank of brigadier general, from 1882 to 1895.
In 1896, he was electedGovernor of Rhode Island as aRepublican. He was re-elected twice and served from 1897 to 1900. After serving as governor, he was again elected to the state Senate in 1904, and then was electedMayor of Providence in 1905 and took office the following January and served until his death on November 29, 1906, his 67th birthday.
Upon his father's death, in 1890, he succeeded to First Class membership in theMilitary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. Dyer was admitted as an hereditary member of the Rhode IslandSociety of the Cincinnati in 1898 by right of his descent from Captain William Jones, a veteran of the Revolutionary War.[3] He was a charter member of the Rhode IslandSociety of Colonial Wars in 1897. He joined the Rhode Island Society of theSons of the American Revolution in 1899 and served as its president from 1903 to 1904.
Dyer was married to Nancy Anthony Viall (1843–1920).[4] She was the daughter of William Viall and Mary Brayton Anthony. Together, they were the parents of:[1]
He died in Providence, while serving in office as Mayor, on his 67th birthday in 1906. He is interred inSwan Point Cemetery in Providence.[6]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Rhode Island 1897,1898,1899 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Rhode Island 1897–1900 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Mayor of Providence 1906–1906 | Succeeded by |
 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
