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Luren Dickinson

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American politician (1859–1943)

Luren Dickinson
37th Governor of Michigan
In office
March 16, 1939 – January 1, 1941
LieutenantMatilda Dodge Wilson
Preceded byFrank Fitzgerald
Succeeded byMurray Van Wagoner
35th, 38th, and 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
In office
January 1, 1939 – March 16, 1939
GovernorFrank Fitzgerald
Preceded byLeo J. Nowicki
Succeeded byMatilda Dodge Wilson
In office
January 1, 1927 – January 1, 1933
GovernorFred W. Green
Wilber M. Brucker
Preceded byGeorge W. Welsh
Succeeded byAllen E. Stebbins
In office
January 1, 1915 – January 1, 1921
GovernorWoodbridge N. Ferris
Albert Sleeper
Preceded byJohn Q. Ross
Succeeded byThomas Read
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 15th district
In office
1909–1910
Preceded byKarl D. Keyes
Succeeded byColeman C. Vaughn
Member of the
Michigan House of Representatives
In office
1897–1898
Preceded byGiles B. Allen
Succeeded byLyman H. McCall
Constituency2nd Eaton district
In office
1905–1908
Preceded byCornelius A. Hallenbeck
Succeeded byWill E. Hale
ConstituencyEaton County
Personal details
Born(1859-04-15)April 15, 1859
Niagara County, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 22, 1943(1943-04-22) (aged 84)
Charlotte, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseZora Della Cooley

Luren Dudley Dickinson (April 15, 1859 – April 22, 1943) was an American politician. He served as the 37th governor of Michigan from 1939 to 1941. He holds the record of the oldest person to ever serve as Michigan governor, beginning at the age of 79 and leaving office at the age of 81.

Early life

Dickinson was born in Niagara County, New York, son of Daniel Dickinson (1828–1903) and Hannah Elisabeth Dickinson (née Leavens; 1830–1916); as an infant his family moved to Michigan. In Michigan his family purchased land and undertook farming. As a boy Dickinson spent most of his time working on the family farm but by studying often at home he was able to complete high school and at the age of eighteen qualified to be a teacher. He was impressive as a teacher and thus moved up quickly becoming first principal and then superintendent of schools at the age of 21. In 1888, he married Zora Della Cooley and they had one child by adoption - Rilla Ethel Patterson (née Dickinson), grandson Robert Patterson, and granddaughter Della Patterson, the latter would accompany the Governor while in office.

Politics

Dickinson's involvement in community schools sparked his interest in local politics. He joined the Republican Party, was elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives and served from 1897 to 1898 and from 1905 to 1908. He was then elected to the Michigan Senate and served from 1909 to 1910.

After his one term in the State Senate, Dickinson was elected the 35th lieutenant governor of Michigan in 1914 and later re-elected to this office. He would spend most of the rest of his political career as lieutenant governor, being elected to the post seven times and defeated three times (1924, 1932, and 1936). He was also an unsuccessful candidate in the Republican primary for governor in 1920 against Alex Groesbeck, who was successful in the general election. Dickinson served as Lieutenant Governor under five governors: Woodbridge N. Ferris, 1915–17; Albert Sleeper, 1917–21; Fred W. Green, 1927–29; Wilber Marion Brucker, 1929–33; and Frank Fitzgerald, 1939.

Gubernatorial succession

In 1939, incumbent Governor Frank Fitzgerald died suddenly in office and thus, a month short of Dickinson's 80th birthday, he became Governor of Michigan.

As governor, he spent much of his time conducting state business at his farm near Charlotte, Michigan rather than at the state capital in Lansing. He was well known for his informal appearance and actions which included having his swearing in ceremony at his farm, dressing in modest clothing and continuing to undertake farm work during his term. During his twenty one and a half months in office, a law was passed which made it mandatory for public school teachers to take an oath of loyalty to the government. Also during his term, gambling and open bars were contested and the Michigan National Guard was activated for service in World War II.

In 1940, he ran for a full term but his campaigning was hampered due to the illness and later death of his wife. He lost the election to Democrat Murray Van Wagoner.

Death

Dickinson was a member of the Grange and Knights of Pythias. He died two years after leaving office at the age of eighty-four in Charlotte and is buried at the Maple Hill Cemetery of that town.

References

  1. "Individual Page".

Sources

Party political offices
Preceded byFrank Fitzgerald Republican nominee for Governor of Michigan
1940 		Succeeded byHarry Kelly
Political offices
Preceded byJohn Q. Ross Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
1915–1921 		Succeeded byThomas Read
Preceded byGeorge W. Welsh Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
1927–1933 		Succeeded byAllen E. Stebbins
Preceded byLeo J. Nowicki Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
1939 		Succeeded byMatilda Dodge Wilson
Preceded byFrank Fitzgerald Governor of Michigan
1939–1941 		Succeeded byMurray Van Wagoner
Governors of Michigan
Territorial (1805–1837)
State (since 1837)
Lieutenant governors of Michigan
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