[2][verification needed] Born on 1 March 1895 in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Dawson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1915 and a master's degree in 1916 from Dalhousie University.
During that time, he served locally with the 1st "Halifax" Regiment, Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery.
He received a Master of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1917 and Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees in economics from the University of London (where he studied at the London School of Economics) in 1921 and 1922 respectively.
In 1928, he returned to Canada as head of the political science department at the University of Saskatchewan.
He left in 1951 to write a biography of Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie King.