Legislative library home page
Legislative Reference Library of Texas
your partner in legislative research
Legislative Reference Library of Texas
your partner in legislative research
W.D. Lair

William Dixon Lair

Full Name: William Dixon Lair
Date of birth: May 12, 1814
Date of death: June 3, 1887

Terms of Service

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 12 Jan 14, 1879 - Jan 9, 1883 17th (1) (2)   16th (3) (4) (5)   Democrat Melissa / Collin   Collin, Denton
S 15 Feb 2, 1863 - Nov 2, 1863 9th (6) (7) (8)     Melissa / Collin   Collin, Grayson

Terms of service footnotes


(1) Democrat, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News. ↩
(2) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881. ↩
(3) 16th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of newly elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/14/1879, p. 3. Senate Journal. ↩
(4) Democrat. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879. ↩
(5) Democrat - "After his election as a Democrat in 1878 . . . ," p. 255. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999. ↩
(6) William Lair, sworn 2/2/1863, succeeded J.J. Dickson, resigned. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005. ↩
(7) 9th Legislature, 1st Called Session - Roll of Senators-elect to fill vacancies, oath of office administered, 2/2/1863, p. 1. Senate Journal. ↩
(8) 9th Legislature, Regular Session - Classification of Senators (drawing for terms of office) - predecessor J.J. Dickson drew "the short term" (two years), 11/12/1861, p. 42. Senate Journal. ↩

Terms of Service

Legislatures:
17th (1) (2)   16th (3) (4) (5)  
Party:
Democrat
Home City/County:
Melissa / Collin
Counties in district:
Collin, Denton

Legislatures:
9th (6) (7) (8)  
Party:
Democrat
Home City/County:
Melissa / Collin
Counties in district:
Collin, Grayson

Terms of service notes


(1) Democrat, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News. ↩
(2) Democrat. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881. ↩
(3) 16th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll call of newly elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/14/1879, p. 3. Senate Journal. ↩
(4) Democrat. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879. ↩
(5) Democrat - "After his election as a Democrat in 1878 . . . ," p. 255. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999. ↩
(6) William Lair, sworn 2/2/1863, succeeded J.J. Dickson, resigned. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005. ↩
(7) 9th Legislature, 1st Called Session - Roll of Senators-elect to fill vacancies, oath of office administered, 2/2/1863, p. 1. Senate Journal. ↩
(8) 9th Legislature, Regular Session - Classification of Senators (drawing for terms of office) - predecessor J.J. Dickson drew "the short term" (two years), 11/12/1861, p. 42. Senate Journal. ↩

Biographical Information

  • Member roster, 9th Legislature, 1st Called Session: name, district, resident county, post office, state of nativity, occupation, and age. Senate Journal.

  • Dr. William Dixon Lair, burial in Lair Cemetery, Anna, Collin County. Grave marker illegible. Includes reprint of biographical sketch from The Daily Courier Gazette, May 1929. Find a Grave.
  • William Dixon Lair, "Dr. W.D. Lair Pioneer Collin Physician and Senator," photo, 5/9/1929, p. 2. Born 5/12/1814 in Russell County, Kentucky; died 6/3/1887. Served in Texas Senate and Kentucky Legislature.
    Mentioned in "The Lair Family," by Mrs. Ethel Bridgefarmer, 8/21/1936, p. 3. McKinney Weekly Democrat-Gazette.
  • Biographical sketch, pp. 242-243. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879.
  • Biographical sketch, pp. 12, 255; service in 16th-17th Senate, pp. 254-255, 279. Served four years in Kentucky legislature before moving to Texas in 1859. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.

  • Photograph. W.D. Lair, 17th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Committee Information

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.