David Dows
{{Short description|American politician (1885–1966)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| party = Republican
| birth_date = {{birth date|1885|8|12}}
| birth_place = Irvington, New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1966|8|13|1885|8|12}}
| death_place = Hot Springs, Virginia, U.S.
| spouse = Emily Weller Schweizer
| office = Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party
| successor = Gregory D. Shorey Jr.
| predecessor = J. Bates Gerald
| term_start = March 28, 1956
| term_end = March 26, 1958
| alma_mater = Yale University
| branch = United States Army
| battles = World War I
| image = DavidDows1915.jpg
| caption = Dows in 1915
| image_size = 200px
| resting_place = Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
| rank = Captain
}}
David Dows III (August 12, 1885 – August 13, 1966) was an American politician from New York who served in South Carolina Republican politics. He served as Chair of the South Carolina Republican Party from 1956 to 1958.
Early life
Dows was born on August 12, 1885, in Irvington, New York,{{Cite news |date=1966-08-15 |title=David Dows, Father Of S.C. GOP, Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-state-david-dows-father-of-sc-gop/139930492/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |work=The State |pages=17}} the son of David Dows II and Jane Strahan. He attended Yale University where he graduated in 1908. He served in World War I with the rank of Captain on the Western Front.
Political career
Dows began his political career in local New York, where he served as Sheriff of Nassau County and a member of the New York Racing Commission. In South Carolina, he was a Republican Candidate for Congress in 1952.{{Cite news |date=1952-08-16 |title=Dows To Confer With Morris On State GOP Slate |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-index-journal-dows-to-confer-with-mo/139932843/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |work=The Index-Journal |pages=12}} He served as a delegate to the 1956 Republican National Convention,{{Cite news |date=1966-08-15 |title=David Dows, GOP Leader, Dies At 81 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-columbia-record-david-dows-gop-lead/139932198/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |work=The Columbia Record |pages=2}} and responsible for patronage during the Eisenhower administration. He was elected chair of the South Carolina Republican Party on March 28, 1956{{Cite news |date=1956-03-29 |title=Republicans Elect David Dows To Head South Carolina Party |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-columbia-record-republicans-elect-da/139934114/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |work=The Columbia Record |pages=6}}{{Cite news |date=1956-01-17 |title=David Dows Says That He Plans To Organize County-By-County GOP Organization In State |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-index-journal-david-dows-says-that-h/139932493/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |work=The Index-Journal |pages=7}} and served until he resigned on March 26, 1958.{{Cite news |date=1958-03-25 |title=GOP Choice of Successor To Dows Seen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-columbia-record-gop-choice-of-succes/139933560/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |work=The Columbia Record |pages=10}}
Personal life
Throughout his life, he was an avid sports enthusiast. He died on August 13, 1966, in Hot Springs, Virginia, a day after his 81st birthday due to a heart attack. He was survived by his wife, Emily Weller Schweizer, daughter, and three stepchildren. His son was killed in a plane accident on November 25, 1964. He is interred at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in New York.