Beman Gates Dawes

Beman Gates Dawes (January 14, 1870 – May 15, 1953) was a politician and oil executive who served two terms as a Republican Congressman from Ohio.

Dawes, a descendant of American Revolution hero William Dawes and the son of American Civil War brevet brigadier general Rufus R. Dawes, was born in Marietta, Ohio. Three brothers also gained international prominence in politics and business - Charles G. Dawes, Rufus C. Dawes, and Henry May Dawes. Beman attended Marietta's public schools and graduated from Marietta College. He married Bertie Burr on October 3, 1894. Dawes engaged in agriculture and engineering, and became interested in public utilities. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 15th District from 1905–1909, serving in the Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth Congresses. After his retirement from Congress, Dawes became interested in the production of oil and the building of electric railways. Along with his wife, he founded the Dawes Arboretum, an endowed institution dedicated to the education of youth. In 1914, he was elected president and chairman of the board of directors of the Pure Oil Co., He died in Newark, Ohio and was entombed in a mausoleum at Dawes Arboretum.