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Peter Miller Dawkins (b. March 8, 1938, Royal Oak, Michigan) is a former Heisman Trophy winner, Rhodes Scholar, U.S. Army Brigadier General, and Republican candidate for Senate. He is currently vice chairman of Citigroup Private Bank.

At age 11, he was successfully treated for polio^[1] with aggressive physical therapy. After earning a scholarship, Dawkins entered Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. There he was an all-league quarterback, and captain of the baseball team.

Although accepted to Yale University, Dawkins chose instead to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. He won high honors, serving as Brigade Commander, President of his Class, Captain of the football team, and a "Star Man" in the top five percent of his class academically. A cadet is considered outstanding if he attains even one of these positions. Dawkins was the only cadet in history to hold all four at once. The young man was featured in Life Magazine and Reader's Digest. Even before his graduation, many predicted the bright young man would make General and perhaps even be Army Chief of Staff. Dawkins was selected for the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award as a halfback for Army in 1958, and an All American under coach Earl Blaik. He was also an Assistant Captain for the hockey team. At Oxford, he won three Blues in rugby and is credited with popularizing the overarm throw into the lineout.

During his tenure at the United States Military Academy, Dawkins was named a Rhodes Scholar, and began his studies after graduating in 1959 at the Oxford University. He degreed in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and later earned a M.P.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton.

After being commissioned from the academy and completing his tenure as a Rhodes Scholar, Dawkins finished Infantry School and Ranger School before being posted for duty in the 82nd Airborne Division. Furthermore, he received two Bronze Stars for Valor for his service in Vietnam, and held commands in the 7th Infantry Division and 101st Airborne. In addition to being an instructor at the academy, he was a White House Fellow in the 1973-1974 class. During that time, he was chosen to work on a Task Force, charged with changing the army into an All-Volunteer force.

At the conclusion of his 24-year career in the Army, Dawkins retired with the rank of Brigadier General. Following his retirement from the Army, Dawkins took up a position as a partner in the Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers, later becoming vice-chairman of Bain and Company. In 1991, he moved on to become chairman and CEO of Primerica Financial Services, Inc..

In 1988, he unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg for his seat in the United States Senate from New Jersey. The race was notable for the negative tone that emerged from both sides and Lautenberg's criticism of Dawkins' lack of roots in the state. Dawkins lost by an 8 percent margin.

In 2004, Donald Trump blasted Dawkins in his book How to Get Rich because he refused to do a "favor" for Trump involving Dawkins's position with Citicorp. Trump never disclosed what that favor was, though he says it was "completely legal and above board".^{[citation needed]}

• 1988 Race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Lautenberg (D) (inc.), 54%
  • Pete Dawkins (R), 46%