Dyche, William Andrew, 1861-1936

Dates

• Existence: 1861-1936

Biography

William Andrew Dyche was born May 25, 1861 in Monroe, Butler County, Ohio. He was the son of David R. Dyche, M.D., a Northwestern University Trustee from 1883 to 1893, and Mary S. (Boyd) Dyche. The family moved to Chicago in 1864 and Dyche attended private schools and Hayes Public School on the city's west side. The Dyches relocated to Evanston in 1874. Dyche received his diploma from the Northwestern University Academy in 1878 and his A.B. degree from Northwestern University in 1882. While a student, he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma, the Hinman Literary Society, the University's baseball team, and Phi Beta Kappa. In 1886 Dyche graduated from the Chicago College of Pharmacy and in 1888 he received an A.M. degree from Northwestern University. Dyche was President of the University's Alumni Association from 1891 to 1892.

While in school, Dyche worked in his father's drug store, D. R. Dyche Drug Co., in Chicago. From 1880 to 1894 he managed the store. Dyche sold the store in 1900, the same year that he served as President of the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy.

On February 11, 1897, Dyche married May Louise Bennett of Evanston, Illinois. She was a daughter of Dr. Charles W. Bennett, a professor at Garrett Biblical Institute. At the time of her marriage she was an associate professor of Library Economy and an assistant librarian at Armour Institute in Chicago. The Dyches had three children: David Bennett, Ruth Caroline Falcon, and George Frederick. Mrs. Dyche died April 28, 1923.

Dyche took his father's place on the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University and served on the Board from 1894 to 1896 and from 1903 to 1935. He was the University Business Manager from 1903 to 1934 and University Counsellor from 1934 to 1936.

Dyche was President of the State Bank of Evanston from 1908 to 1919. He was Vice-President and Chairman of the Board of State Bank from 1919 until resuming the presidency in 1935. Dyche served two terms as an Evanston alderman (1892 to 1895) and was Evanston's mayor from 1895 to 1899. He was active in business and civic affairs, serving as President of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Evanston Committee of the United War Work Campaign, and as an associate member of the Chicago Real Estate Board.

Dyche was a member of the First Methodist Church of Evanston. He belonged to the Union League, Glen View, Evanston, and University Clubs of Chicago and Evanston, and the Evanston Country Club.

Dyche died of a heart ailment on February 18, 1936.

William A. Dyche was one of Northwestern University's outstanding alumni and staff members. The University's Board of Trustees honored Dyche by naming the football stadium after him in 1926. He was named Business Manager "for life" in 1927 and awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1932.

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