1912–13 Volume 37 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

460 THE SCROLLThe funeral was held on Sunday, September 8, at his father'shome in Evanston, 111., and was attended by a large number of hisfriends. Among the pallbearers were Brothers Chester Ericson andAndrew Aldrich of Illinois Alpha. Rev. William McElveen whoperformed the ceremony read a statement which Mr. Dawes hadwritten eulogizing his son. It was a remarkable document and waspublished in full by nearly all of the Chicago papers. It was atense and piteous expression of the father's pain and showed hisgreat pride in his son's character and achievements. No better descriptionof the splendid character of this young Phi can be giventhan the following quotation from his father's statement:Like every born leader, he had his many warm friends, but if Rufus Fearingever had a bitter enemy I have yet to hear of him. His liindness, sincerity, andgood humor disarmed hatred. I never saw him angry. In twenty years henever gave me just cause for serious reproach.He was absolutely natural In any environment, great or humble. He wasextremely ambitious. He was extremely proud. Upon one occasion, years ago,when I mistakenly reproached him, he patiently explained my mistake andthen peremptorily demanded and received an apology from me.It was not altogether modesty which kept him so silent about his markedachievements, but because a high average of proficiency which left the fieldfield far behind only brought him into closer self-comparison with the few winners.The natural leader in life, while he keeps his head, keeps his eyesonly on the runners in front and not on the multitude behind. This is whythe truly great are so often humble.•JOHN ARTHUR DIXON, NORTHWESTERN '96Chicago Phis lost one of their best loved brothers when JohnArthur Dixon, Northwestern '96, died on October 21, 1912 at theLakeside Hospital, Chicago, from peritonitis following an operationfor appendicitis. During the last years Brother Dixon had foundsplendid success in the land business, but he was best known amongPhis as a newspaper man, as previous to his land operations he servedon the staffs of several Chicago dailies since the time he left college.Brother Dixon was 41 years of age. He was born in Newville, Pa.,on August 21, 1871. His father was a Methodist minister andlived in several different states before he moved to Evanston, 111.,when John Arthur was a boy of fifteen. Brother Dixon took hispreparatory course at Evanston Academy and entered NorthwesternUniversity with the class of '96, and was initiated into 4> A ®. Heworked his own way through college. While in the university heworked for the Evanston Press and also acted as Evanston correspondentfor the Chicago Times Herald. During his college careerhe was associate editor of The Northwestern and manager of theNorthwestern baseball team of 1894 which won the western championshipin that year.As his family needed his assistance he left college in 1896 beforegraduating and went to work on the old Chicago Times Herahl. IIeserved as reporter and as labor editor, doing especially creditable