The Honorable Mahlon Dickerson

Born in Hanover, NJ on 17 Apr 1770 and died in Succasunna, NJ on 5 Oct 1853. Served as Private in Captain Kinney’s 2nd Regiment of Cavalry in the Whiskey Rebellion 1794. Princeton graduate 1789 and MA Degree 1792. Attorney. Member of the Bar in New Jersey in 1793 and in Philadelphia in 1797. Member of the Philadelphia Common Council 1799. Commissioner of Bankruptcy 1802. Adjutant General of Pennsylvania 1805-1808. Recorder of the City Court in Philadelphia, PA 1808-1810. Member of the New Jersey General Assembly 1811-1813. Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court and Chancery 1813-1815. Governor of New Jersey 1815-1817. During his tenure, the state became the first in the nation to approve a protective tariff. US Senator from New Jersey 1817-1833. He was a member and Vice-President of the New Jersey Council in 1833. US Minister to Russia in 1834. US Secretary of the Navy 1834-1838 under Presidents Jackson and Van Buren. The ‘USS Dickerson’ 1919-1945 was named in his honor. Judge of the US District Court for New Jersey in 1840. Delegate to the New Jersey Constitutional Convention of 1844. President of the American Institute in New York City 1846-1848. Owner of the Succasunna Ironworks. Freemason and member of Cincinnati Lodge #17 (now #3). [Sources: ;(66); (98); (C); famousamericans.net; Dead Governors of New Jersey; Famous New Jersey Masons. Pic: Find a Grave Memorial.]