\IRGIXIA BIOGRAPHY
137
Williamson, who was also a native of Han-
over county. \'irginia. Mrs. Duke was the
daughter of William and Elizabeth (De Jar-
nette) Williamson, of that county. Mr. Wil-
liamson was a farmer all his life and the
father of six children, of whom Dabney
Williamson, now a resident of Richmond,
and Lucy EUirton (Williamson) Duke are
the only survivors. Mrs. Duke is now a
resident of Richmond. To Mr. and Mrs.
l'>ancis Johnson Duke were born eight chil-
dren, five of whom are living, as follows :
Frank W.. of Richmond, now the superin-
tendent of the Mechanics' Institute of that
city ; William Dabney. of this sketch ;
Thomas Taylor, a lieutenant in the United
States army ; Cora De Jarnette. now Mrs.
Thomas A. Lewis, of Granville. Ohio, Mr.
Lewis occupying the position of professor
in the Denison University ; Lucy William-
son, who lives unmarried with her mother.
(IVj William Dabney Duke, third child
of Francis Johnson and Lucy Burton (Wil-
liamson) Duke, was born December 11.
1S72. in Richmond. N'irginia. He was edu-
cated in the local public schools, which he
attended through the high school in prepara-
tion for a college course. He then matricu-
lated at Richmond College in Richmond,
and graduated therefrom with the class of
1894. with the degree of Bachelor of Science.
His father's life-long experience in railroad
matters naturally turned his thoughts and
inclinations in that direction, but prior to
attending college he occupied a clerical posi-
tion with the Richmond Locomotive and
Machine Works of Richmond, from 1888 to
1891. In 1894, after his graduation, he be-
came associated with the Richmond, Fred-
ericksburg & Potomac railroad, with which
his father had been for so many years, first
taking a position as stenographer under
Major Myers, the president of the company.
He continued in this work for six years with
Major Myers, and then, in 1901, was given
the position of general manager of the sys-
tem. Mr. Duke was only twenty-eight
vears of age when he was thus put in charge
(if a railroad, a most conspicuous tribute to
his capacity and skill, to say nothing of in-
dustrv. which he had displayed from the
outset. The competent manner in which he
filled the post of general manager is evi-
denced by the fact that five years later he
was promoted to the position which he holds
to-day. that of assistant to the president.
The Richmond, Fredericksburg & Poto-
mac railroad and the Washington Southern
railway, as the complete system is called, is
the direct line between the capital of \'ir-
ginia and the National Capital. It forms
thus one of the most important links in the
great chain of railroads which binds the
south into an industrial unit. Besides this
material importance, it also possesses for
the people of the United States a senti-
mental significance surpassed by no railroad
in the country, in virtue of the many points
of historic and romantic interest along its
line, cities, towns, hamlets, associated with
the dearest and most stirring episodes and
traditions of the American people. From
Washington the line runs along the Poto-
mac river, passing the home of General Lee
at Arlington, passing Alexandria, where is
located historic Christ Church, where the
unaltered pew of George Washington still
stands, near Mount Vernon, through Fred-
ericksburg and so on to Richmond, with its
glorious and tragic associations. It is upon
the official staff of this railroad that Mr.
Duke holds his important post.
Mr. Duke has not, however, confined him- self to the interests of his business, a policy which has narrowed so many of the great figures in the financial and industrial world. On the contrary, he has given generously of both time and energy to the affairs of the community of which he is a distinguished member. Always keenly interested in pub- lic affairs, of both national and local signifi- cance, he has entered the latter with his characteristic enthusiasm, and made himself a force in local matters. Possessing a great and well deserved popularity, he was elected to the office of mayor of Ginter Park, which office he held when that charming suburb was annexed to Richmond in Xovemlier.
1914-.
William Dabney Duke married. Septem- ber 21. 1904, at Wake Forest. North Caro- lina, Jane E. Taylor, a native of that place, where she was born in 1883. Mrs. Duke is the daughter of Charles E. and Mary H. Taylor. Mr. Taylor is a distinguished scholar, was president and is now a mem- ber of the faculty of Wake Forest College. ]\Irs. Taylor is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Duke are the parents of three children, as follows : Francis Johnson, born March 6. 1906: Mary Hinton. born September 28. 1908: William, b^rn May 2. I0i4. Mr. and
