Pete Dawkins

Pete Dawkins
Man in West Point Cadet uniform
Dawkins c. 1983
Personal details
Born (1938-03-08) March 8, 1938 (age 86)
Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
Judi Wright
(m. 1962; died 2017)
(m. 2019)
EducationCranbrook School
United States Military Academy (BSc)
Brasenose College, Oxford (BA)
Princeton University (MPA, PhD)
WebsiteOfficial website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1962–1983
Rank Brigadier General
Battles/warsVietnam War
AwardsBronze Star (2)
College football career
Dawkins c. 1959
No. 24
PositionHalfback
Personal information
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career history
CollegeArmy (1956–1958)
High schoolCranbrook
(Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)
Career highlights and awards
College Football Hall of Fame (1975)

Peter Miller Dawkins (born March 8, 1938) is an American business executive and former college football player, hockey player, military officer, and political candidate. Dawkins attended the United States Military Academy, where he played as a halfback for the Army Cadets football team from 1956 to 1958. As a senior in 1958 he won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and was named as a consensus All-American. After graduating from the Military Academy in 1959, he studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Dawkins served as an officer in the United States Army until he retired in 1983 with the rank of brigadier general. He received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Bernard W. Rogers, USA in 1983.[1][2] He was a Republican candidate for United States Senate in 1988. Dawkins has held executive positions with Lehman Brothers, Bain & Company, Primerica, and Citigroup.

He is the only person in history to have held the titles of Brigade Commander, Football Team Captain, Class President, Star Man (top 5% of the class), Heisman Trophy winner, and Rhodes Scholar. He is often regarded as the most decorated cadet in the history of the United States Military Academy.[3]

Following Johnny Lujack's death on July 25, 2023, Dawkins is the oldest surviving winner of the Heisman Trophy. He is the lone survivor among the first 27 recipients (1935–1961).

  1. ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  2. ^ Wade, Larry (July 14, 1983). "American Academy of Achievement fills Coronado with famous names" (PDF). Coronado Journal.
  3. ^ "Dawkins". The Thayer Hotel. Retrieved October 9, 2023.