EDWIN DRYER

1916 - 2019

Edwin Jason Dryer, Jr.  Lawyer, Farmer, Soldier  (and Lumberman)  
Edwin Jason Dryer of Great Falls, Virginia died April 28, 2019, after a brief illness. He was active until two weeks before his death at age 102. Born in New York City on September 6, 1916 to Edwin Jason Dryer Sr. and Anne Kennebecker, he was preceded in death by his brother and sister and his wife of 48 years, Dorothea Merrill Dryer. Survivors include his second wife, Enid Chamberlain Dryer, who shared his lifelong love of sailing, his daughters Diana Dryer Wright MD of McLean, Virginia, and Faith Ellen Dryer of Torrington, Wyoming, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Mr. Dryer was graduated from Yale College (BA, Phi Beta Kappa, and last class of the horse-drawn field artillery in ROTC) in 1937 and Yale Law School (LLB) in 1940. He served as attorney, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC until entering active military duty from 1941 to 1946 as Lt. Col., U.S. Army, Executive Officer, 9th Transportation Zone, Army Transportation Corps, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was responsible for transportation through eight western states to support operations overseas. He continued serving as a Colonel in the Ready Reserves for 30 years. After two years as Assistant to the President, Morrison-Merrill Lumber Company, Salt Lake City, Utah (1946-1948) he returned to federal service as Assistant General Counsel, Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Oregon (1948-1950); Deputy Administrator and General Counsel, Defense Electric Power Administration; and Consultant, the President's Water Resources Policy Commission, Washington, DC (1950-1953), for which he co-authored "Water Resources Law". He became a partner in the Washington law firm Meyers & Batzell (1955-1965), then Meyers & Dryer (1965-1968) in the practice of energy and natural resources and anti-trust law. From 1965 to 1983 he was General Counsel of the Independent Refiners Association of America. He was a partner in Foley & Lardner, Washington, DC from 1980 until his death. Mr. Dryer was a member of the American Law Institute, the National Press Club, the Army and Navy Club of Washington, DC, and the Society for the Preservation of Old Mills (SPOOM). In addition to military service and his career in the law, since 1955 he operated a cattle farm in Browntown, Virginia, where he was recognized for his innovative water conservation projects, including the restoration of an 1840s Oliver Evans design water-powered sawmill. A memorial service will be held at a later date at the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel, Arlington, Virginia with burial to follow at Arlington National Cemetery.