Section: | 47 |
Space: | 1 |
Lot: | 16 |
Spouse: | Lilly Clubbs Beggs |
Place of Birth: | Madison, Fl |
Occupation: | Education |
Owner: | Beggs |
Current Owner: | SJC |
Area: | 1 |
Distinguished Lawyer, Judge, Community Leader and Educator Contributed to growth of Pensacola and State Schools E. Dixie Beggs, Senior and Junior, were two of the most highly respected names in Pensacola in their times. Since Beggs, Sr. was born July 26, 1861, just as the Civil War began his parents called him �Dixie� in honor of the Southern nation. Dixie Beggs, Sr. was born in Madison, Florida and received his early education at public and private schools. After attending South Georgia Agricultural College in Thomasville, he entered the University of Georgia. Returning to Madison, Beggs went into the newspaper business when he became editor and publisher, then bought �The Madison Recorder.�. He soon tired of the business and turned to law. After studying under Judge E. J. Vann, Beggs opened his own office and remained an attorney in Madison for one year before moving to Kissimmee, Florida for 10 years .He was town council president and mayor before moving to Pensacola where he married a Pensacola woman, Lily Clubbs, daughter of A. V. Clubbs. In 1899, the Legislature of Florida appointed Beggs one of the Water Front Commissioners to adjudicate claims of submerged lands and other waterfront lands under dispute; Beggs was elected chairman. In 1902, he was appointed judge of the criminal court of record to succeed Judge A. C. Blount Jr. and was elected several terms. Following the example set by his father-in-law, A. V. Clubbs, Beggs became interested in the educational system. He became a trustee for the Florida Agricultural College in Lake City, which became the University of Florida. In 1918, Beggs was elected to the Escambia County School Board. He served a dozen years on the board, the first four as chairman. The county passed a $500,000 bond for building and improving schools and many were built under Beggs� leadership. Among them were Pensacola High School, P. K. Yonge, Agnes McReynolds, Annie K. Suter, Brent, Ernest Ward and Beulah Schools. Beggs resigned from the bench and gave up his school board seat in 1931 to concentrate on his legal practice, specializing in real estate law. He was joined by his son, and for a short time in a firm known as Beggs and Beggs. He retired from the active practice of law in 1937 and died Feb. 13, 1940. Beggs was an active member of the First Baptist Church where he was clerk, deacon and deacon emeritus, Men�s Bible Class teacher, Sunday School superintendent and chairman of the Board of Deacons. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Columbia College at Lake City and a moderator of the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association. He was a Rotarian, vice president of Banking Savings and Trust Co., which became First Bank and Trust, and a founder of the YMCA. Beggs and his wife, Lily, had five children: Mary, Emily, Dixie Jr., Annie and Charles. He is buried in St. John�s Cemetery 4 North, Section 47. He was married November 30, 1893 in Escambia County to Lily Clubbs. They were the parents of known children: E. Dixie Beggs, Mary (married James A. Johnston), Annie (1903-1983), and Emily Beggs (married John T. Murphy). E.D. Beggs died February 13, 1940, buried next to his wife Lily Clubbs Beggs, daughter Mary Beggs Johnston and her husband James Aitcher Johnston, daughter Annie Beggs, daughter Emily Beggs and her husband John Thomas Murphy. |