Dix legacy lives on Published March 2, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Ryan Throneberry Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- A small New Jersey Army camp was founded in 1917 - named Camp Dix, and was used as a training and staging ground for units during World War I. The installation grew into a major Army facility in World War II and was renamed Fort Dix. Who is the namesake of this military post and what accomplishments led to this honor? Major Gen. John Adams Dix - a man of abundant and diverse accomplishments. He distinguished himself during a long career of public service and national interest promotion. Dix served the nation as a military officer, lawyer and statesman. Dix was born to a military family on July 24, 1798 - in Boscawen, N.H. His father, Army Lt. Col. Timothy Dix, taught him about national service early in life and sent him to a series of fine schools to ensure his well-rounded education. However, the War of 1812 cut short his formal education and jumpstarted Dix's career as a military officer. He turned down an appointment to West Point at age 14 to receive a commission in his father's regiment, becoming the youngest officer in the Army at the time. After his father's death in 1813, Dix rapidly filled a number of developmental positions, including a position as an adjunct for an independent battalion of nine companies and aide-de-camp to Gen. Jacob Brown, a hero of the War of 1812. Dix studied law preparing for life after the military during his off time. He rose to the rank of captain in 1825 as a member of the third artillery and soon after married Catherine Morgan, the adopted daughter of New York Congressman John J. Morgan. His father-in-law offered him a lucrative position overseeing the Morgan family holdings in New York. Dix resigned his commission so he could practice law, oversee the family holdings and enter politics. Starting as the local leader of the Jackson democrats, Dix rapidly rose within the New York hierarchy, becoming adjutant general of New York in 1830, then secretary of state in 1833. Dix became a New York senator in 1844 and began to publicly engage critical issues of international affairs including the annexation of Texas and the war with Mexico. "What impressed me most in researching Major General Dix's biography was the length and breadth of his service to the U.S. and the variety of capacities in which he served," said Noelle Altamirano, Fort Dix Mobilization Museum curator. "He truly was a driven Renaissance man who was not only a Soldier and statesman, but a businessman as well. He exhibited a dedication to establishing greater unity and equality in the country and encouraging its continued growth and prosperity." His very public stance that slavery should not spread into new American territories was not widely liked. In fact, his position on the matter ruined both his chance to run for New York State governor in 1848 and his nomination of secretary of state in 1853. Dix was appointed secretary-treasurer where his competence and many financial connections ensured favorable government loans for the upcoming war effort. In a Jan. 29, 1861 telegraph to the New Orleans treasury, Dix ordered treasury agents to resist any efforts to take over federal assets. The telegraph concluded with, "If anyone attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot." The telegram was intercepted by confederates and was never delivered to the treasury agents. The press soon got a hold of the message making Dix one of the first heroes of the union during the Civil War. President Lincoln rewarded him with the rank of major general and the command of the posts at Alexandria and Arlington, Va. Dix served as the Minister to France from 1866 to 1869 following the end of the war. Dix took office as the Governor of New York in 1872 at the age of 75, after the abolishment of slavery. He served one term before dying on April 21, 1879. The proud legacy of Dix has remained intact as part of the nation's only tri-service base, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. "Since 1917, more than 3 million men and women have passed through Camp Dix, later Fort Dix, on their way to fight in every conflict from World War I to current military operations," said Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Whittaker, Army Support Activity-Dix. "Regardless of the name, the mission to train and care for the ultimate weapon (service members) remains the same."