David Patterson Dyer

David Patterson Dyer (February 12, 1838 – April 29, 1924) was a United States representative from Missouri and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. A member of the Republican Party, he served one term in the United States House of Representatives during a significant period in American history, participating in the legislative process and representing the interests of his Missouri constituents.

Dyer was born on February 12, 1838, in Henry County, Virginia. In 1841 he moved with his parents to Lincoln County, Missouri, where he completed his preparatory studies. He attended St. Charles College in St. Charles, Missouri, and subsequently read law. He was admitted to the bar in March 1859 at Bowling Green, in Pike County, Missouri, and immediately commenced the practice of law.

From 1859 to 1875, Dyer engaged in private practice in Pike County, Missouri. Early in his legal career he was elected prosecutor for the Third Judicial Circuit of Missouri in 1860. During the American Civil War, he served in the Union forces, first as a private in Captain Hardin’s company, Pike County Regiment, Missouri Home Guard, and later as lieutenant colonel and then colonel of the 49th Missouri Infantry Regiment. Concurrent with his military service, he entered public life in state government, serving as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1862 to 1865. He subsequently served as Secretary of the Missouri Senate in 1866 and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1868, reflecting his growing prominence within the Republican Party.

Dyer was elected as a Republican from Missouri’s 9th congressional district to the United States House of Representatives in the 41st United States Congress, serving from March 4, 1869, to March 3, 1871. His single term in Congress occurred during the Reconstruction era, a critical period in the nation’s political and constitutional development. As a member of the Republican Party representing Missouri, he contributed to the legislative process during his one term in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1870 to the 42nd United States Congress.

After leaving Congress, Dyer resumed the practice of law, this time in St. Louis, Missouri, where he maintained a private practice from 1871 to 1902. He also held important federal prosecutorial responsibilities, serving as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri from 1875 to 1876. Remaining active in partisan politics, he was the Republican candidate for Governor of Missouri in 1880, though he was unsuccessful in that bid. He later returned to federal service as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri from March 9, 1902, to March 31, 1907, further solidifying his reputation as a leading Republican lawyer in the state.

Dyer’s long legal and political career culminated in his appointment to the federal bench. He was nominated by President Theodore Roosevelt on February 27, 1907, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri vacated by Judge Gustavus A. Finkelnburg. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on March 1, 1907, and he received his commission the same day. He served actively on the district court until assuming senior status on November 3, 1919, continuing to hear cases in a reduced capacity until his death.

David Patterson Dyer died on April 29, 1924, in St. Louis, Missouri. His service as a senior judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri terminated upon his death. He was interred in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis. Dyer was part of a family with an enduring presence in national politics; he was the uncle of United States Representative Leonidas C. Dyer, who also represented Missouri in Congress.