ZEB VANCE DILLON -A manufacturer specializing in the production of men’s dress shirts, the late Zeb Vance Dillon built up and

^{From the}^Raleigh^{North Carolina}^State^Archives:

^{Book – History of North Carolina – Family
and Personal History}

^{Volume IV}

^{Lewis Historical Publishing Company}

^{Digital Picture of}

^{Title Page}

^{Portrait of Zeb Vance Dillon}

^{Scanned copies of:}

^{Portrait of Zeb V Dillon}

^{Page 600}

^{Page 601}

^{Pictures Transcribed:}

^{ZEB VANCE DILLON}^{-A manufacturer specializing in the production of men’s
dress shirts, the late Zeb Vance Dillon built up and headed the Lexington Shirt
Corporation, a major industrial firm of his city, management of which still
remains in his family. Complementing his achievements in the commercial sphere
were his distinguished service in public posts, and his civic accomplishments.
An editorial considering the significance of his career, and appearing in the
columns of the}^Lexington^{"Dispatch," opened with
these lines:}

The untimely death of Zeb V. Dillon, the Stokes County farm boy who came to Lexington and in a score of years hewed out his fortune from what had appeared to be nothing but barren rock, emphasizes that this is still a land of opportunity. Mr. Dillon . . . had faith and vision and the indomitable courage it takes to solidify these into material realities.

^{As indicated in the above paragraph, his father Seburn Dillon was a
farmer, who had married the former Miss}^Elmira^{Jane Fulp. They farmed acreage in Stokes County, and
there Zeb Vance Dillon was born on May 10, 1895. He attended local schools, and
at the time of World War I, entered the United States Army and was assigned to
the 81st (“Wildcat”) Division, with which he served overseas for eighteen
months, out of a total of twenty-two months in uniform. Honorably discharged
from the service, he came to}^Lexington^{a short time afterwards, in 1920, and bought and
operated a laundry firm there.}

^{Several years later he sold the laundry to join Charles M. Peeler in
forming their own organization for the manufacture of men’s dress shirts. They
rented a modest location in an uptown area, and under the conscientious and
capable management of the partners, the Lexington Shirt Corporation, as it
became known, prospered. Within a few years it was possible to erect the large
modern plant still occupied by the firm on}^{East Second Avenue}^{. About two years before Mr. Dillon’s death, he
purchased Mr. Peeler’s interest in Lexington Shirt Corporation, and Mr. Peeler
became owner of the Vestal Corporation, which the two had founded when they
purchased | the Vestal Building. Early in 1947, Mr. Dillon concluded an
agreement with the Manhattan Shirt Corporation, under the terms of which the
entire output of his plant,which had won wide recognition for the quality of
its goods, was to be distributed by that nationwide concern. The founder’s son,
James M. Dillon, had joined his father in the management of the plant; and when
the agreement with the Manhattan Shirt Company expired in 1954, he assumed full
responsibility for distribution as well as manufacture. The corporation
continues to produce an ever-increasing volume of shirts, of a quality which
reflects credit on the manufacturers and the community.}

^{For several years, Zeb V. Dillon served on the board of county
commissioners, and at the time of his death he was a member of the}^Lexington^City^{Utilities Commission. He had held other positions of
public trust as well. From the time the}^Davidson^County^{Selective Service Board was organized in 1940, he
served as its chairman, filling that post until the board was dissolved. Mr.
Dillon had been a leader in activities on behalf of the Boy Scouts of}^America^{. As a member of the}^Lexington^{Chamber of Commerce, he had served as chairman of its
transportation committee. He had been an esteemed member and an official of the
Rotary Club, and was elected its vice president a short time before his death.
He was also a member of the}^Lexington^{Country Club, and gold and horseback riding was his
favorite sports. He attended the}^First^Methodist^Church^{, was a loyal supporter of its programs, was
particularly active on the financial committees, and was also a member of its
board of stewards.}

^In^{Winston-Salem}^{, on}^{December 23, 1919}^{, Zeb Vance Dillon married Sybil Lopp, daughter of
William Smith and Mary Ann (Mitchell) Lopp. Her father was a large landowner
and a dealer in livestock, and he also held interest in various manufacturing
companies. He was a member of the Masonic lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Dillon became
parents of the following children: 1. Mary Isabelle, who married Henry F.
Sherrill of}^Durham^{. 2. Betty Rose, who married Clayton Carswell Gray,
Jr. 3. James M. He graduated from the}^University^of^{North Carolina}^{in 1953, and served one year in his father’s plant
white it was still under the management of Manhattan Shirt Company. That firm’s
lease expired in 1954, and James M. Dillon took over management, in which he
has been very successful.}

^{The death of Zeb Vance Dillon occurred at Baptist Hospital,}^{Winston-Salem}^{, on June 27, 1947. In reviewing his career in the
columns of a local newspaper, an editorial writer said of him:}

Mr. Dillon gave convincing evidence that he appreciate the cooperation of his fellow men along the road to business success and sought in many ways to repay his debt to the community by working unsparingly for the public good. He never seemed too busy to help with worthy undertakings, giving his personal efforts to many campaigns for good enterprises. This is a much better city for his having lived in it for more than a quarter of a century. While his passing is genuinely mourned by many, the community might well be grateful for the pattern of personal accomplishment and community service that he left as a heritage.

^{Transcription and pictures by Doug Dillon}