Biography

George Dawson was a journalist born in Falkirk, Scotland on March 14, 1813 and died in Albany, NY on February 17, 1883. He obtained an education though his own exertions. His family moved to the United States when he was five and at eleven he got a job in a printing office in Niagara county, NY. He moved to Rochester in 1826 and began working with the "Anti-Masonic Inquirer" which was edited by Thurlow Weed. He went with Weed to Albany in 1830 and became the foreman of the "Evening Journal." He was the editor of the Rochester daily "Democrat" from 1836-1839 and the Detroit daily "Advertiser" from 1839-1842. He then returned to Rochester and resumed his position as editor of the "Democrat." He was the associate editor of the Albany "Evening Journal" from 1846-1862, when Weed retired. He then became senior editor and proprietor of the paper until 1877. He was also postmaster of Albany from 1861-1867. Dawson advocated philanthropic enterprises, especially free schools. He was also a devout Christian, a Baptist, and was a teacher, superintendent, and lay preacher of various Sunday-school missions. Dawson authored a book "The Pleasures of Angling" in 1876.