Mahlon Dickerson
Encyclopedia
Mahlon Dickerson 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
.
, 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.
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 Congress
es 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.
, 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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
judge and politician. He was elected Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
as well as United States Senator from that state. He was twice appointed Secretary of the Navy - under Presidents Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and Martin van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
. He was the elder brother of New Jersey Governor Philemon Dickerson
Philemon Dickerson
Philemon Dickerson was a United States congressman representing New Jersey, and was later a United States federal judge. He was the brother of Governor, then United States Senator, Mahlon Dickerson of New Jersey...
.
History
Born in Hanover Township, New JerseyHanover Township, New Jersey
Hanover Township is a Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 12,898...
, he was educated by private tutors and graduated with an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
) in 1789. He then studied the law
Reading law
Reading law is the method by which persons in common law countries, particularly the United States, entered the legal profession before the advent of law schools. This usage specifically refers to a means of entering the profession . A small number of U.S...
to be admitted to the bar in 1793.
During the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
, he served as a private in the Second Regiment Cavalry, New Jersey Detached Militia.
Career
After his militiaMilitia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
service, he settled in Philadelphia, and began practicing in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
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
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
from 1805 to 1808, and as Philadelphia city recorder from 1808 to 1810.
He returned to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, settling in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
in 1810. Elected to the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
in 1811, he served one term. He was law reporter for the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
from 1813 to 1814, and a justice of the same from 1813 to 1815. He was elected Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
in 1815 and served until 1817, having been elected as a Democratic-Republican
Democratic-Republican Party (United States)
The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...
to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
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
Ephraim Bateman
Ephraim Bateman represented New Jersey in the United States Senate from 1826 to 1829 and in the United States House of Representatives from 1815-1823....
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
15th United States Congress
-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Daniel D. Tompkins * President pro tempore:** John Gaillard , elected March 4, 1817** James Barbour , elected February 15, 1819- House of Representatives :*Speaker: Henry Clay -Members:...
, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce and Manufactures for the 16th
16th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Alabama and one seat was reapportioned from Massachusetts to the new state of Maine. For the beginning of the next congress, six more seats from Massachusetts would be reapportioned to...
through 18th Congress
18th United States Congress
The Eighteenth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1823 to March 3, 1825, during the seventh and eighth...
es and the U.S. Senate Committee on Manufactures from the 19th
19th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: John C. Calhoun * President pro tempore: John Gaillard , until December 4, 1825** Nathaniel Macon , from May 20, 1826- House of Representatives :* Speaker: John W. Taylor -Members:...
through 22nd Congresses.
In 1833, upon leaving the Senate, he was elected Member of the New Jersey Legislative Council
New Jersey Legislative Council
The New Jersey Legislative Council was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776 until it was replaced by the New Jersey Senate under the Constitution of 1844.-History:...
for Morris County and served as Vice President
Vice-President of Council
The Vice-President of Council of the New Jersey Legislature would succeed the Governor if a vacancy occurred in that office.-List of past Vice-Presidents of Council:...
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
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and was reappointed by President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
, serving until June 1838. The destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Dickerson
USS Dickerson (DD-157)
USS Dickerson was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy, and was converted to a high-speed transport at Charleston, South Carolina and designated APD-21 in 1943...
was named in his honor.
On July 14, 1840, Dickerson was nominated by President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of New Jersey....
vacated by William Rossell
William Rossell
William Rossell was a United States federal judge.Born in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey, Rossell was a Sergeant in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and thereafter was a farmer in Mount Holly, New Jersey...
. Dickerson was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
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
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
of 1844.
Societies
During the 1820s, Dickerson was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and SciencesColumbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences
The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences was a literary and science institution in Washington, D.C., founded by Dr. Edward Cutbush , a naval surgeon...
, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.
Later life
Dickerson died in 1853 in Succasunna, New Jersey and is interred at Presbyterian Cemetery, Succasunna.External links
- Biography of Mahlon Dickerson, New Jersey State LibraryNew Jersey State LibraryThe New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, New Jersey, was established in 1796 to serve the information needs of New Jersey's Governor, Legislature and courts. The State Library is also responsible to assist in the provision of library and information services to all New Jersey...
- New Jersey Governor Mahlon Dickerson, National Governors AssociationNational Governors AssociationThe National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
- Article at "Discovering Lewis & Clark"
- Biography of Mahlon Dickerson from The Political GraveyardThe Political GraveyardThe Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 224,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information.-History:...