Donald M. Dickinson: Difference between revisions

Donald Dickinson
Donald Dickinson
34th United States Postmaster General
	In office; January 6, 1888 – March 4, 1889
President	Grover Cleveland
Preceded by	William Freeman Vilas
Succeeded by	John Wanamaker
Personal details
Born	January 17, 1846; Oswego County, New York, U.S.
Died	October 15, 1917 (aged 71); Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (LLB)
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Donald McDonald Dickinson (January 17, 1846 – October 15, 1917) was a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.

Biography

Dickinson was born in the town of Richland, Oswego County, New York, on January 17, 1846,^[1] the son of Asa Case Dickinson and Minerva Holmes. His family moved to Michigan when he was two years old. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1867 and built a very successful practice in Detroit, frequently arguing cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.

In 1872, Dickinson established himself in state politics by working to effectively organize the Democratic Party in what at the time was a heavily Republican state. He was a member of Democratic National Committee from Michigan 1880–1885, and was an early supporter of the candidacy of Grover Cleveland for President in 1884.^[1] After the election, Cleveland offered Dickinson a position on the recently created Civil Service Commission, but he declined. However, in 1887, Dickinson accepted the appointment as United States Postmaster General, serving from January 6, 1888, until the end of Cleveland's first term in 1889.^[1] A railroad strike soon after Dickinson took office interrupted postal service in the nation. Dickinson refused to use federal forces to break the strike and instead modified the distribution routes so that postal deliveries could continue. At Cleveland's request, Dickinson applied civil service reforms to hiring practices to minimize the effect of patronage on the postal service.

Following Cleveland's defeat, Dickinson returned to the practice of law in Detroit. He subsequently headed Michigan's delegation to the 1892 Democratic National Convention which renominated Cleveland. Dickinson split with the Democratic Party over William Jennings Bryan's ascendancy and his monetary proposals. Dickinson supported the Republican ticket of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt in 1900 and also supported Roosevelt's unsuccessful run as a third party candidate in 1912.

He died in Detroit on October 15, 1917,^[1] and is interred at Elmwood Cemetery. Dickinson County, Michigan, is named for him.^[2]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Don M. Dickinson Dies in Michigan". The Standard Union. Detroit. October 15, 1917. p. 3. Retrieved January 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 106.

References

Donald M. Dickinson at American President

Political offices
Preceded by William Freeman Vilas	United States Postmaster General Served under: Grover Cleveland January 6, 1888 – March 4, 1889	Succeeded by John Wanamaker

[Dies-1] "Don M. Dickinson Dies in Michigan". The Standard Union. Detroit. October 15, 1917. p. 3. Retrieved January 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 106.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 ==Biography==
-Dickinson was born in the town of Richland, [[Oswego County, New York]], on January 17, 1846,<ref name=Dies>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42675921/don_m_dickinson_dies_in_michigan/ |title=Don M. Dickinson Dies in Michigan |work=The Standard Union |location=Detroit |page=3 |date=1917-10-15 |access-date=2020-01-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> the son of Asa Case Dickinson and his wife Minerva holmes.  He later moved with his family to Michigan when he was two years old. He graduated from the [[University of Michigan Law School]] in 1867 and built a very successful practice in [[Detroit]], frequently arguing cases before the [[Supreme Court of the United States]].
+Dickinson was born in the town of Richland, [[Oswego County, New York]], on January 17, 1846,<ref name=Dies>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/42675921/don_m_dickinson_dies_in_michigan/ |title=Don M. Dickinson Dies in Michigan |work=The Standard Union |location=Detroit |page=3 |date=1917-10-15 |access-date=2020-01-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> the son of Asa Case Dickinson and Minerva Holmes.  His family moved to Michigan when he was two years old. He graduated from the [[University of Michigan Law School]] in 1867 and built a very successful practice in [[Detroit]], frequently arguing cases before the [[Supreme Court of the United States]].
-In 1872, Dickinson established himself in state politics by working to effectively organize the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in what at the time was a heavily [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] state. He was a member of [[Democratic National Committee]] from Michigan 1880–1885, and was an early supporter of the candidacy of [[Grover Cleveland]] for [[President of the United States|President]] in 1884.<ref name=Dies/> After election, Cleveland offered Dickinson a position on the recently created [[United States Civil Service Commission|Civil Service Commission]], but he declined. However, in 1887, Dickinson accepted the appointment as [[United States Postmaster General]], serving from January 6, 1888, until the end of Cleveland's first term in 1889.<ref name=Dies/> A [[railroad]] [[Strike action|strike]] soon after Dickinson took office interrupted postal service in the nation. Dickinson refused to use federal forces to break the strike and instead modified the distribution routes so that postal deliveries could continue. At Cleveland's request, Dickinson applied [[Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act|civil service reforms]] to hiring practices to minimize the effect of [[patronage]] on the postal service.
+In 1872, Dickinson established himself in state politics by working to effectively organize the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in what at the time was a heavily [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] state. He was a member of [[Democratic National Committee]] from Michigan 1880–1885, and was an early supporter of the candidacy of [[Grover Cleveland]] for [[President of the United States|President]] in 1884.<ref name=Dies/> After the election, Cleveland offered Dickinson a position on the recently created [[United States Civil Service Commission|Civil Service Commission]], but he declined. However, in 1887, Dickinson accepted the appointment as [[United States Postmaster General]], serving from January 6, 1888, until the end of Cleveland's first term in 1889.<ref name=Dies/> A [[railroad]] [[Strike action|strike]] soon after Dickinson took office interrupted postal service in the nation. Dickinson refused to use federal forces to break the strike and instead modified the distribution routes so that postal deliveries could continue. At Cleveland's request, Dickinson applied [[Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act|civil service reforms]] to hiring practices to minimize the effect of [[patronage]] on the postal service.
-Following Cleveland's defeat, Dickinson returned to the practice of law in Detroit. He subsequently headed Michigan's delegation to the [[1892 Democratic National Convention]] which renominated Cleveland. Dickinson split with the Democratic Party over [[William Jennings Bryan]] ascendancy and his monetary proposals. Dickinson support the Republican ticket of [[William McKinley]] and [[Theodore Roosevelt]] in 1900 and also supported Roosevelt's unsuccessful run as a third party candidate in 1912.
+Following Cleveland's defeat, Dickinson returned to the practice of law in Detroit. He subsequently headed Michigan's delegation to the [[1892 Democratic National Convention]] which renominated Cleveland. Dickinson split with the Democratic Party over [[William Jennings Bryan|William Jennings Bryan's]] ascendancy and his monetary proposals. Dickinson supported the Republican ticket of [[William McKinley]] and [[Theodore Roosevelt]] in 1900 and also supported Roosevelt's unsuccessful run as a third party candidate in 1912.
 He died in Detroit on October 15, 1917,<ref name=Dies/> and is interred at [[Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit)|Elmwood Cemetery]]. [[Dickinson County, Michigan]], is named for him.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n105 106]}}</ref>

v t e United States Postmasters General
Confederal	Franklin Bache Hazard
Federal	Osgood Pickering Habersham G. Granger Meigs McLean
Cabinet level Post Office Department	Barry Kendall Niles F. Granger Wickliffe Johnson Collamer Hall Hubbard Campbell A. Brown Holt King Blair Dennison Randall Creswell Marshall Jewell Tyner Key Maynard James Howe Gresham Hatton Vilas Dickinson Wanamaker Bissell Wilson Gary Smith Payne Wynne Cortelyou Meyer Hitchcock Burleson Hays Work New W. Brown Farley Walker Hannegan Donaldson Summerfield Day Gronouski O'Brien Watson Blount
U.S. Postal Service	Blount Klassen Bailar Bolger Carlin Casey Tisch Frank Runyon Henderson Potter Donahoe Brennan DeJoy

v t e Cabinet of President Grover Cleveland (1885–1889)
Secretary of State	Thomas F. Bayard (1885–1889)
Secretary of the Treasury	Daniel Manning (1885–1887) Charles S. Fairchild (1887–1889)
Secretary of War	William Crowninshield Endicott (1885–1889)
Attorney General	Augustus H. Garland (1885–1889)
Postmaster General	William F. Vilas (1885–1888) Donald M. Dickinson (1888–1889)
Secretary of the Navy	William Collins Whitney (1885–1889)
Secretary of the Interior	Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (1885–1888) William F. Vilas (1888–1889)
Secretary of Agriculture	Norman Jay Colman (1889)

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