My Descending from Gov. - D. A. Sharpe

Register Report for William Bradford
Generation 8
The guiding spiritual light in the family for Dwight's early years was his Mother, who saw to it
that he had an involved and effective life in the First Presbyterian Church there in
Georgetown. The Williamson County Sun newspaper issue of June 7, 1979, published an
extensive full-page article and pictures on page 11 about the 125th recognition of the
church's anniversary. Dwight was cited as being one of only three members of that church
who went into the pastoral ministry over the 125 year time of its existence at that time.
Dwight's approval for candidacy for the Gospel Ministry was given by the Session of that
church in 1922. I have a photocopy of the Minutes of the Session meeting. This was just
after the retirement of Rev. M. C. Hutton, who was cited as one of the most effective pastors
in that church's history, serving some 35 years from 1886 till 1921. He was the pastor who
we understand had influence and encouragement on Dwight in his thinking and feeling a
call to the ministry. The Session minutes were much more descriptive about the
praiseworthy characteristics of Dwight than typical minutes are in today's world of just
recording that the action was approved. Those details are a little later in this narrative.
Dwight was born in the year (in fact, just two days before) that President William McKinley
was assassinated by an anarchist and was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt,
is the uncle of the wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight's half seventh
cousin, once removed. President William McKinley's assassin, Leon Czolgosz, was
electrocuted October 29, 1901, just 55 days after the terrible event! WOW! Is that not
justice faster than we see today?
It was the same year (1901) the Social Revolutionary Party was founded in Russia, later to
be what we came to know as Communism. Film producer Walt Disney was born this year.
Industrialist J. P. Morgan organized the U. S Steel Corporation, who was Dwight's fifth
cousin, once removed. The first American Bowing Club tournament was held in Chicago in
1901 as well.
(Source: "The Timetables ofHistory" 3rd Revised Edition, Bernard Grun, Simon & Schuster,
New York1991, pages 454-455) And he was born a few months after England'sQueen
Victoria died in January.
The famous Jazz player, Louis Armstrong was born the year of Dwight's birth. Two days
before Dwight was born, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt's famous advice, ''Speak softly
and carry a big stick,'' was offered in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair. That was the
same day as the assassination of President McKinley.
On Dwight's 17th birthday, the beginning of his senior year in High School, September 4,
1918, there was the birth of Paul Harvey, who later would become a world-wide known radio
commentator, even still broadcasting as recently as 2007. He graduated to heaven in
2009.
Dwight was President of his 1918 High School graduating class in Georgetown, Texas. He
also was Business Manager of the School Annual, Salutatorian of his class, Vice President
of the Literary Society, had a role in the Senior Play and lettered two years on the track
team. In the yearbook. The Senior Class prophesy about him was to become a famous
Texas lawyer!
He created a life-long bond of friendship with fellow student Walter Johnson, a neighbor in
Georgetown who was physically disabled (wheel chair bound) and required personal
tutoring during junior high and high school years. Dwight gave generously of his time.
Walter married a woman who taught school, and they lived a wonderful life in the Hill
Country of Texas on one of those clear spring-fed creeks. We visited them several times
over the years while I was a young boy.
The high school data was made available to me when Mr. Tass Waterston, a member of
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