James Dawson Nixon

  General Notes:

This is work in progress. There is considerable information that has not been entered yet.

James Dawson Nixon's Birth Certificate and Baptismal Record gave two different names, James John Nixon and John James Nixon. Not sure which name was used on each. He later had his name changed to James Dawson Nixon.

James was the middle of five children born to Loyd and Pearl Nixon. The family lived in St. Joseph, Michigan from 1929-1933. Then in Battle Creek, Michigan from 1933-1938. Then the family moved to Albion where his father, a Methodist Minister, was District Superintendant.

James graduated from High School in 1940 and entered Albion College the same year. In 1941 he was appointed student pastor. The bishop protested when he was designated 1-A in the WWII draft in 1942 and he was given a 4-D Ministerial deferment. The same year James enlisted in the Navy and left Albion College in January of 1943. Boot camp was at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center where he also went to Hospital Corps School working at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital.

During the rest of WWII James served in the Navy in the Hospital Corps (Pharmacist's Mate). In 1943, he was transferred to the Naval Air Base at Jacksonville, Florida. In 1944 he was married on leave and transferred to the CB base at Camp Perry, Virginia. Then, at James request, he was assigned to the destroyer USS Benham which went into drydock at Pearl Harbor the same year after a collision. In 1944 the destroyer went to Palau, Peleliu, Marianas. In 1945 the destroyer went to Iwo Jima, the Phillipines and Okinawa. It also was part of the occupation fleet at Tokyo bay in 1945. The ship had also survived 3 typhoons, the worst occuring in 1945. In November of 1945 the ship returned to Honolulu and James disembarked in Bremerton, Washington. From there he went to the Great Lakes Naval base where he was discharged.

James and Evelyn visited Hawaii again in January, 1999. They spent three days on Oahu followed by seven days on the SS Independence touring the other islands. This was James first return so they also spent time visiting the USS Arizona and other WWII memorials.

James spent many years as a Methodist Minister. In 1945 he was appointed to the Livingston, Michigan circuit. In 1951 he became pastor of the Munith, Michigan circuit. In 1953 he attended the University of Michigan and graduated in 1954, then moving to Chicago to attend seminary from which he graduated in 1957.

He left the ministry to pursue his education receiving a Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Michigan. From there he became a Dean at Austin Pea State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence. James and Evelyn Nixon live at 3 Canterbury Road, Clarksville, Tennessee 37043.

James married Marian Lucille Richmond, daughter of Charles Sylvester Richmond and Sylvia Rhea Bryan, on 2 Dec 1943 in Cuyhoga Falls, Ohio. (Marian Lucille Richmond was born on 26 Nov 1920 in Akron, Ohio.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Divorce: Ann Arbor, Michigan.

James next married Evelyn Rose Newhouse, daughter of Edwin Newhouse and Bertha Ruby, on 20 Dec 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Evelyn Rose Newhouse was born on 22 Sep 1923 in Indianapolis, Indiana, died on 21 Jun 2007 in Clarksville, Tennessee and was buried in Earlham Cemetery, Richmond, Indiana.)