William Jefferson Blythe Jr. lost control of his 1942 Buick on U.S. Route 60 outside of Sikeston, Missouri, after one of his car's tires blew out. He survived the accident after being thrown from the car, but drowned in a drainage ditch as he tried to pull his way out of the three feet (1 meter) of water in the ditch. Three months later, Blythe's widow, Virginia, gave birth to their son, whom she named William Jefferson Blythe III in honor of his father and grandfather. In 1950, Blythe's widow married Roger Clinton Sr.; 12 years later, Blythe's posthumous son legally adopted his stepfather's
James Blythe Rogers James Blythe Rogers James Blythe Rogers (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 11 February 1802; died there, 15 June 1852) was a United States chemist. He was the eldest son of Patrick Kerr Rogers, who had graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1802, and in 1819 was elected professor of natural philosophy and mathematics at the College of William & Mary, where he remained until his death. James Rogers was educated at William and Mary, and, after preliminary studies with Dr. Thomas E. Bond, received the degree of M.D. from the University of Maryland in 1822. Subsequently