- Mahlon Dickerson
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Mahlon Dickerson 10th United States Secretary of the Navy In office
July 1, 1834 – June 30, 1838Preceded by Levi Woodbury Succeeded by James K. Paulding 7th Governor of New Jersey In office
October 26, 1815 – February 1, 1817Preceded by William Kennedy Succeeded by Isaac Halstead Williamson United States Senator from New Jersey (Class 2) In office
March 4, 1817 – January 30, 1829Preceded by John Condit Succeeded by Theodore Frelinghuysen United States Senator from New Jersey (Class 1) In office
January 30, 1829 – March 4, 1833Preceded by Ephraim Bateman Succeeded by Samuel L. Southard Personal details Born April 17, 1770
Hanover Township, New JerseyDied October 5, 1853 (aged 83)
Succasunna, New JerseyPolitical party Democratic-Republican, Democrat Alma mater College of New Jersey Profession Politician, Lawyer, Judge Religion Episcopalian Military service Service/branch New Jersey Detached Militia Rank Private Battles/wars Whiskey Rebellion Mahlon Dickerson (April 17, 1770 – October 5, 1853) was an American judge and politician. He was elected Governor of New Jersey as well as United States Senator from that state. He was twice appointed Secretary of the Navy - under Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin van Buren. He was the elder brother of New Jersey Governor Philemon Dickerson.
Contents
History
Born in Hanover Township, New Jersey, he was educated by private tutors and graduated with an A.B. from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1789. He then studied the law to be admitted to the bar in 1793.
During the Whiskey Rebellion, he served as a private in the Second Regiment Cavalry, New Jersey Detached Militia.
Career
After his militia service, he settled in Philadelphia, and began practicing in Pennsylvania courts in 1797. He served as a Judge of the Mayor's Court, and as a member of the Philadelphia Common Council in 1799. He was named state commissioner of bankruptcy in 1802, served as adjutant general of Pennsylvania from 1805 to 1808, and as Philadelphia city recorder from 1808 to 1810.
He returned to New Jersey, settling in Morris County in 1810. Elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1811, he served one term. He was law reporter for the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1813 to 1814, and a justice of the same from 1813 to 1815. He was elected Governor of New Jersey in 1815 and served until 1817, having been elected as a Democratic-Republican to the United States Senate in 1816.
Dickerson served in the Senate from March 4, 1817 to January 30, 1829, when he resigned, but he was immediately reelected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ephraim Bateman and served from January 30, 1829, to March 4, 1833, for a total of 16 years of service. Dickerson served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Library during the 15th Congress, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce and Manufactures for the 16th through 18th Congresses and the U.S. Senate Committee on Manufactures from the 19th through 22nd Congresses.
In 1833, upon leaving the Senate, he was elected Member of the New Jersey Legislative Council for Morris County and served as Vice President for that term. In 1834 he declined appointment as Minister to Russia. In June of that year, he was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Andrew Jackson and was reappointed by President Martin Van Buren, serving until June 1838. The destroyer USS Dickerson was named in his honor.
On July 14, 1840, Dickerson was nominated by President Martin Van Buren to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey vacated by William Rossell. Dickerson was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 21, 1840, and received his commission on July 23, 1840. However, Dickerson was appointed as a place holder so his brother Philemon wouldn't have to give up his seat in the closely divided House of Representatives until very near the end of the Congress and the Van Buren Administration, so he served less than one year, resigning on February 16, 1841. He was also a delegate to the New Jersey constitutional convention of 1844.
Societies
During the 1820s, Dickerson was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.[1]
Later life
Dickerson died in 1853 in Succasunna, New Jersey and is interred at Presbyterian Cemetery, Succasunna.
References
- ^ Rathbun, Richard. The Columbian institute for the promotion of arts and sciences: A Washington Society of 1816-1838.. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, October 18, 1917. http://books.google.com/books?id=MY-5AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=%22columbian+institute%22&source=bl&ots=norHpKppMQ&sig=Xn1668nfr6y_EhAJVYUcGRBN1pk&hl=en&ei=3jAeTM3mAYHcMaqrjfUM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCcQ6AEwBzgU#v=onepage&q=%22columbian%20institute%22&f=false. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
Biography
- Mahlon Dickerson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Mahlon Dickerson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
External links
- Biography of Mahlon Dickerson, New Jersey State Library
- New Jersey Governor Mahlon Dickerson, National Governors Association
- Article at "Discovering Lewis & Clark"
- Biography of Mahlon Dickerson from The Political Graveyard
- Mahlon Dickerson at Find a Grave
Political offices Preceded by
William Kennedy (acting)Governor of New Jersey
October 26, 1815 - February 1, 1817Succeeded by
Isaac Halstead WilliamsonUnited States Senate Preceded by
John ConditUnited States Senator (Class 2) from New Jersey
March 4, 1817–January 30, 1829
Served alongside: James J. Wilson, Samuel L. Southard, Joseph McIlvaine, Ephraim BatemanSucceeded by
Theodore FrelinghuysenPreceded by
Ephraim BatemanUnited States Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey
January 30, 1829–March 4, 1833
Served alongside: Theodore FrelinghuysenSucceeded by
Samuel L. SouthardGovernment offices Preceded by
Levi WoodburyUnited States Secretary of the Navy
1834 – 1838Succeeded by
James K. PauldingGovernors of New Jersey Livingston · Paterson · Howell · Bloomfield · Ogden · W.S. Pennington · M. Dickerson · Williamson · Vroom · Southard · Seeley · Vroom · P. Dickerson · W. Pennington · Haines · Stratton · Haines · G. Fort · Price · Newell · Olden · Parker · Ward · Randolph · Parker · Bedle · McClellan · Ludlow · Abbett · Green · Abbett · Werts · Griggs · Voorhees · Murphy · Stokes · J. Fort · Wilson · Fielder · Edge · Edwards · Silzer · Moore · Larson · Moore · Hoffman · Moore · Edison · Edge · Driscoll · Meyner · Hughes · Cahill · Byrne · Kean · Florio · Whitman · DiFrancesco · McGreevey · Codey · Corzine · ChristieUnited States Senators from New Jersey Class 1 Elmer • Rutherfurd • Davenport • Schureman • Ogden • Condit • Lambert • Wilson • Southard • McIlvaine • Bateman • Dickerson • Southard • W. Dayton • R. F. Stockton • Thomson • Field • J. Wall • Wright • F. T. Frelinghuysen • J. Stockton • Randolph • Sewell • Blodgett • J. Smith • J. Kean • Martine • J. Frelinghuysen • Edwards • H. Kean • Moore • Milton • Barbour • Walsh • H. Smith • Williams • Brady • Lautenberg • Corzine • MenendezClass 2 Paterson • Dickinson • F. Frelinghuysen • R. Stockton • J. Dayton • Kitchell • Condit • Dickerson • T. Frelinghuysen • G. Wall • Miller • Wright • Ten Eyck • J. Stockton • Cattell • F. T. Frelinghuysen • McPherson • Sewell • Dryden • Briggs • Hughes • Baird • Edge • Baird, Jr. • Morrow • Barbour • Smathers • Hawkes • Hendrickson • Case • Bradley • Torricelli • Lautenberg
Cabinet of President Andrew Jackson (1829–1837) Vice President Secretary of State Martin Van Buren (1829–1831) • Edward Livingston (1831–1833) • Louis McLane (1833–1834) • John Forsyth (1834–1837)Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D. Ingham (1829–1831) • Louis McLane (1831–1833) • William J. Duane (1833) • Roger B. Taney (1833–1834) • Levi Woodbury (1834–1837)Secretary of War Attorney General Postmaster General Secretary of the Navy Cabinet of President Martin Van Buren (1837–1841) Vice President Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of War Attorney General Postmaster General Secretary of the Navy Categories:- 1770 births
- 1853 deaths
- Governors of New Jersey
- Members of the New Jersey Legislature
- Members of the New Jersey Legislative Council
- Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
- People from Hanover Township, New Jersey
- Princeton University alumni
- United States Secretaries of the Navy
- United States Senators from New Jersey
- Judges of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
- United States federal judges appointed by Martin Van Buren
- American Episcopalians
- New Jersey Supreme Court justices
- New Jersey Democratic-Republicans
- New Jersey Democrats
- Democratic-Republican Party United States Senators
- Democratic Party United States Senators
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