116 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [April, 



LEGAL ATTAINMENTS OF DOCTOR DIXON. 



BY JOHN CADWALADER, LL.D. 



Dr. Samuel Gibson Dixon was a man of such varied abilities and 

 had exerted them to such an unusual degree in benefiting his fellow- 

 men that all phases of his life present points of interest and justify 

 the consideration of his career in its different periods. 



In his very early years he exhibited such activity of mind and 

 such earnestness of purpose that his father said of him that "there 

 seemed to be no limitation to his development." When a man has 

 been a successful lawyer, a doctor of medicine, filling an important 

 chair in a leading medical school with high scientific attainments ; 

 for twenty-two years the President of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia, and in 1905 assuming as Commissioner 

 the entire control of and practically creating the Health Depart- 

 ment of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the continuous 

 reappointments by four Governors, it may well be said of him that 

 his life has been remarkable and well spent. 



The Chairman has spoken and others will speak of his work for 

 the Academy and for sanitary science. I have been asked to refer 

 to those years during which he devoted himself to the law. 



The law has been well called "A Jealous Mistress," requiring un- 

 tiring attention. Dr. Dixon only entered on the threshold of a 

 lawyer's life and, of course, had not reached the stage of distinction 

 which only comes to men after years of experience. I am sure, 

 however, that his study and limited time in practicing the profession 

 had a distinct influence in his career. 



The material growth of industries and commercial interests 

 of all kinds has brought into such prominence the "Captains of 

 Industry" and "Napoleons of Finance" that the great profession 

 of the law is not appreciated as it was half a century ago and for 

 centuries before that time. Lord Campbell, in dedicating his "Lives 

 of the Chief Justices of England" to his son Dudley, wrote: "As 

 you have chosen the noble though arduous profession of the law I 

 dedicate these lives to you in the hope that they may stimulate in 

 your bosom a laudable ambition to excel, and that they may teach 

 you industry, energy, perseverance and self-denial," and "ever bear 

 in mind that truly enviable reputation is only to be acquired by 



