Caesar Rodney

Born on October 7, 1728, on a farm east of Dover, Caesar Rodney was one of Delaware’s most distinguished statesmen. Entering public life at an early age, Rodney held numerous local offices. He was a member of the Colonial State Assembly, and a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress. From 1774 through 1776 he was a member of the Continental Congress. During his service as a member of the Continental Congress in 1776, Rodney was summoned from his home to Philadelphia to break a deadlock in the state’s delegation and add Delaware to the list of states approving the Declaration of Independence. He was commissioned Brigadier-General during the Revolution and given responsibility for commanding the Delaware Militia. In 1778 he was elected President (or Governor) of Delaware, a capacity in which he served until 1781. He died at his home near Dover on June 29, 1784. Throughout his career of public service, Caesar Rodney was noted for his high integrity, purity of character, and patriotic leadership. In 1916 a new school for area youth was constructed. Named to honor Delaware’s patriot hero, the first Caesar Rodney High School was located on Camden-Wyoming Avenue. It was replaced by the present structure in 1967. .