WILLIAMS C. FOX
FOX, WILLIAMS C, was chief clerk of the Bureau of American Republics from March 4, 1898 to April 5, 1905, since which date he has been its director. He was born in St. Louis, May 5, 1855. His father, Elias Williams Fox, a merchant and newspaper proprietor, was a member of the Missouri Legislature; surveyor of customs in the port of St. Louis; president of the St. Louis Board of Trade and president of the first national commercial convention held in the United States, in Boston, 1SG8, as well as chairman of the Republican state central committee of Missouri, in 1868, the last time the state cast its electoral vote for the Republican ticket until it went for Roosevelt and Fairbanks in 1904. The influence of his mother, Eusebia Johnson Fox, was marked on her son's mental and moral character and early development. He is descended from the Pratt family, of Buffalo, New York, and his grandfather, Augustus Carlton Fox, commanded Indian scouts in the War of 1812.
He was educated at Washington university, St. Louis, taking courses in the academic department, and afterward attending the Pennsylvania Military college, at Chester, Pennsylvania. He began the active work of life as clerk in a store. His first public office was that of consul at Brunswick, Germany, from 1876-88. While he held this position, the notable controversy arose between the United States and Germany with regard to the importation into the latter country of American meat products. The result of this controversy was the withdrawal from Berlin of the Honorable A. A. Sargent, the minister of the United States. The reports made by Mr. Sargent caused great indignation in Germany; but the facts alleged by him were never disproved. These facts were collected and furnished by Mr. Fox. It was chiefly for that reason that when the Democratic administration came into power, in 1885, President Cleveland continued Mr. Fox in office. An article written by Mr. Fox at the request of the editor of "The Forum," under the title, "Our Relations with Germany," gave the American people their first
