Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/265

 DICK

DICKERSON

his cavalry charges, June IT. 1863. In 1878 he was elected a trustee and secretary of the Metro- politan museum of art. When the museum was transferred from 14th street to Central Park, the

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trustees unanimously made him chief director. Columbia university and Princeton college con- ferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1880. He is the author of several works on the discoveries he made in Cj-prus.

DICK, Robert Paine, jurist, was born in Greensboro, X.C., Oct. 5, 1823; son of Judge John McClintock Dick (1791-1861), lawyer, state senator, and judge of the supreme court, 1835-61. Robert was graduated at the University of North Carolina in 1843; was admitted to the bar in 1846; served as U.S. district attorney for North Carolina, 1853-61 ; member of the state constitu- tional conventions, 1861 and 1865, member of the state council, 1861-64, state senator, 1864-65, associate justice of the North Carolina superior court, 1868-72; and U.S. district judge for the Western district of North Carolina, 1865 and 1872-98. He retired from the bench in 1898. He received the degree of LL. D. from' the Uni- versity of North Carolina in 1869.

DICK, Samuel Bernard, representative, was born in Meadville, Pa., Oct. 36, 1836. He was educated at Allegheuy college, and in 1861 was elected captain in the 9th Pennsylvania reserve regiment. He was severely wounded at Deanesville, Va., Dec. 20, 1861. and on recovering became acting colonel of the regiment and com- mander of a brigade in West Virginia until his resignation, Feb. 17, 1863. He was a Republican Presidential elector in 1864 ; mayor of MeadviUe, 1870; and representative in the 46th congress, 1879-81. He then engaged in railroad enterprises and in 1899 was chairman of the board of directors of the Pittsburg, Bessimer &, Lake Erie railroad.

DICKERSON, Mahlon, governor of New Jer- sey, was born in Hanover, N.J., April 17, 1770; son of Jonathan Dickerson and a descendant of Philemon Dickerson, immigrant, who settled in Salem, Mass., before 1672. and subsequently re- moved to Southold. Long Island, N.Y. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1789

and was admitted to the bar as an attorney in 1793. In 1794 he was a volunteer soldier in sup- pressing the whiskey insurrection. He settled in Philadelphia, Pa., where he continued the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1797. He held several municipal offices in Philadelphia, and in 1802 was appointed commissioner of bank- ruptcy. He was made adjutant-general of the state in 1805, resigning three years later to be- come recorder of the city of Philadelphia. In 1810, on the death of his father, he removed to Morris county, N.J., and was a representative in the state legislature, 1812-13 ; a justice of the supreme court, 1813-14, and governor of New Jersey, 1815-17. In 1816 he was elected U.S. senator from New Jersey and served by re-elec- tion till Jan. 29, 1829, when he resigned his seat and was elected to the seat made vacant by tlie death of Senator Bateman, completing Bateman's term, March 3, 1S33. He was chairman of the committee on manufactures. In May, 1834, he declined the mission to Russia and in June was appointed secretary of the navy in President Jackson's cabinet. He held that portfolio by re- appointment of President Van Buren until June 30, 1838, when he resigned and was succeeded by James K. Paulding, naval agent at New York city, 1826-38. He was subsequently U.S. district judge of New Jersey. He was actively engaged as a miner and manufacturer of iron in Morris county and was president of the American insti- tute, 1846-48. He contributed to the Aurora, edited by William Duane, and is the author of Speeches in Conijrcss, 1826-1S46. He died in Suckasunny, Morris county, N.J., Oct. 5, 1853.

DICKERSON, Philemon, governor of New Jersey, was born in Morris county, N.J., in 1788; son of Jonathan Dickerson, and a direct descend- ant of Philemon Dickerson, who immigrated to Salem, Mass., and removed to Southold, Long Island, N.Y., in 1672. His brother, Mahlon Dick- erson, was secretary of the navy, governor of New Jersey and U.S. senator. He studied law, was made an attorney in 1813, a counsellor in 1817, and a sergeant-at-law in 1824, and practised in Paterson, N.J. He represented his town in the New Jersey assembly in 1833, and his district in the 23d and 24th congresses, 1833-36, resigning in 1836 on being elected governor of New Jersey. He was a representative in the 26th congress, 1839-41, but his election was contested by John B. Aycrigg, and he did not secure his seat until March 10, 1840, his term expiring, March 3, 1841. He was appointed judge of the U.S. district court in New Jersey by President Van Buren. He died in Paterson. N.J., Dec. 10. 1862.

DICKERSON, William Fisher, A.M.E. bishop, was born in Woodbury, N.J., Jan. 18, 1844. He was graduated from Lincoln university in