With a rare name like this, it is not surprising that there are not many famous (or even slightly notable) ones! All I can really identify are the following.

Senator J. James Exon (1921-2005 )

Democrat Senator for Nebraska. He became well-known to those who use the Web for having sponsored a bill on Internet censorship. A library has been established in his honour. There is also a short official biography . He is the grandson of:

Judge James H. Exon (1858-?)

Lawyer, newspaper owner and banker, Charles Mix County, South Dakota. Perhaps not as notable as the above but I have included him because a brief biography of him is available on the web. He was descended from the Stogursey family.

Bridadier-General Arthur Exon (US Air Force) (1916-2005)

Another grandson of Judge James H. Exon.  His major claim to fame (as far as the Web is concerned) is that he is named on several sites and in a number of books as being involved in the events surrounding the incident at Roswell, New Mexico which some believe was an alien landing. (See, for example, a bulletin board discussion and an analysis by Timothy Printy .) As yet I have not had a chance to investigate the more important aspects of his life and career, but there is a brief official biography and a record of the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943.

Edwin Exon (1833-1910)

Australian poet, with a number of published works, including the words of a musical jubilee ode to Queen Victoria. Although he was very much part of the literary and publishing scene in Melbourne, he was more admired for his long service as Superintendant of the Melbourne Orphan Asylum. There is a sad story attached to this. He and his wife, Frances (born Frances Judith CHAPPLE) took on the job in 1859 when they were quite young, taking over from a couple of inefficient and corrupt (even cruel) predecessors, neither of whom had lasted long. They had two small daughters at the time. The next year an epidemic swept the Asylum and both daughters died. Edwin and Frances went on caring for thousands of other children but had no more of their own. Frances died in 1896 but Edwin did not retire until 1903, at the age of 70, after 44 years in the same job. He also was descended from the Exons of the Stogursey area.

(Sir Piers Exon)

He has been mentioned in some publications as the first known member of the family but there does not seem to be any hard evidence that he ever existed. There are no clear dates for him and none of the likely sources mentions him. If anybody ever finds any such evidence, I would love to hear about it.
 

Last updated september 26 2005