Davidson County TN Archives Biographies.....Dickinson, Jacob M. 1851 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com October 26, 2005, 3:10 pm

Author: Will T. Hale

   JACOB M. DICKINSON. The annals of American history show conclusively that the

southern states have given to the nation a goodly quota of its most

distinguished legists and jurists, as well as those who have wielded great and

benignant influence in economic, governmental and diplomatic affairs.

Conspicuous among the sons of the south who have in later years conferred such

distinction upon the nation and whose course has been marked by exalted

achievement, stands Jacob McGavock Dickinson, of Nashville, Tennessee. He has

won national reputation as a legist and jurist, his service in diplomatic

relations have given him fame in foreign lands, he has held offices of high

public trust, including that of secretary of war of the United States, and made

emphatic impress by reason of his great intellectual and professional

attainments and broad-minded attitude as a man of affairs. Through his character

and services he has dignified and honored the fair southland and the nation at

large, and this publication would prove inconsistent with itself were their

failure to accord specific recognition to this distinguished citizen of Tennessee.



   Judge Dickinson was born at Columbus, Mississippi, on the 30th of January,

1851, and is a son of Henry and Anna (McGavock) Dickinson, the former a native

of Ohio and the latter of Tennessee. The founder of this branch of the Dickinson

family in America was Henry Dickinson, a scion of stanch English stock, and this

honored progenitor came from England in 1654, to establish his home in Virginia,

that cradle of much of our national history. Henry Dickinson, father of him

whose name initiates this- review, was long numbered among the most

distinguished members of the Mississippi bar and served for many years in the

office of chancellor. He was on one occasion presidential elector from his

state, on the Democratic ticket, and in the climacteric period leading up to the

Civil war he was one of the commissioners sent from Mississippi to Delaware in

connection with the final consideration of the question of secession on the part

of the southern states. He wielded much influence in public affairs in

Mississippi and ever commanded high vantage-ground in popular confidence and

esteem. Both he and his wife passed the closing years of their lives at

Nashville, Tennessee, and of their children, one son and one daughter, are now

living. Mrs. Dickinson was a daughter of Jacob McGavock, a representative

citizen of Nashville, and the latter's mother was a daughter of Felix Grundy,

who was chief justice of Kentucky, congressman and United States senator from

Tennessee and attorney general in the cabinet of Van Buren.



   Judge Dickinson passed his childhood and early youth at Columbus,

Mississippi. When but fourteen years of age he manifested his youthful loyalty

to the cause of the Confederacy by enlisting as a volunteer in the command of

General Ruggles, under whom he saw active service for a short period in and

about his native town. He is a member of the Isham Harrison Bivouac of Columbus,

Mississippi. After the close of the war Judge Dickinson came to Nashville,

Tennessee, where he continued his studies under Nathaniel Cross, also in the

public schools and finally in the Montgomery Bell Academy, in which institution

he prepared himself for matriculation in the University of Nashville. In this

university he was graduated as a member of the class of 1871, with the degree of

Bachelor of Arts, and in the following year his alma mater conferred upon him

the degree of Master of Arts. While he was pursuing his post-graduate course

leading up to the master's degree he held the position of assistant professor of

Latin in the university.



   In preparation for his chosen profession Judge Dickinson entered the law

department of Columbia University, in the city of New York, where he took the

junior and senior studies in one year. His educational advantages were then

effectively supplemented by his entering the great University of Leipzig,

Germany, where he not only familiarized himself with the German language, but

also took a course in Roman law and political economy. He also attended lectures

in the Sorbonne and the Ecole du Droit, in the city of Paris.



   Judge Dickinson returned to his native land in 1874 and soon afterward was

admitted to the Tennessee bar, at Nashville, in which city he began the practice

of his profession. His earnest and indefatigable labors in his chosen vocation

combined with his fine professional ability gained for him special success and

prestige within a brief period after entering upon his novitiate as an attorney

and counselor at law. By special appointment in 1S90 he served several different

periods on the supreme bench of the state. In the meanwhile he had become a

prominent and influential figure in the political activities of Tennessee, as a

stalwart and effective advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic

party but was never a candidate for office. He was specially prominent in

connection with the bitter contest incidental to the disposition of the state

indebtedness of Tennessee, and in 1882 was chairman of the state-credit wing of

the Democratic party. Judge Dickinson twice served as chairman of the committee

of fifty of the Reform Association of Nashville, which, in two strenuous and

bitter contests, effectually overthrew the dominion of nefarious political rings

and their bosses.



   In February, 1895, Judge Dickinson was commissioned assistant attorney

general of the United States, and in this position he served until the close of

the administration of President Cleveland. Shortly after his retirement from

this office he became district attorney for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad

Company, his jurisdiction being the state of Tennessee and for northern Alabama,

and in 1897 he accepted the chairs of real estate and of torts in the law

department of Vanderbilt University, an incumbency which he retained until his

removal to Chicago in 1899.



   Judge Dickinson in 1899 accepted the important post of general solicitor and

subsequently became general counsel for the Illinois Central Railroad Company. A

notable professional service rendered by Judge Dickinson was in Connection with

the Alaska Boundary dispute, in which he appeared as counsel for the United

States before the arbitration tribunal in the city of London, England, in 1903,

his associates being David T. Watson, H. Annis Taylor, and Chandler P. Anderson.

Judge Dickinson closed the argument, occupying nearly four days, and it is

uniformly conceded that his presentation of the cause was one of the most potent

instrumentalities in winning the ease for the United States. In 1909 Judge

Dickinson was tendered by President Taft the distinguished cabinet post of

United States Secretary of War, and accepted the high honor, the preferment

having aroused no little discussion throughout the Union, by reason of the fact

that the Judge has been a lifelong Democrat. This very circumstance showed that

President Taft made the selection by reason of the ability and special fitness

of the person of his choice. Judge Dickinson gave a most careful and

discriminating administration of the important duties devolving upon him in this

government office, of which he continued in tenure until May, 1911, when he

resigned. In the year 1911 he made an official visit to the Philippines and a

tour around the world and was entertained by the emperor of Japan, the prince

regent of China, Emperor William and President Falliers.



   Judge Dickinson resumed the practice of his profession in Nashville after his

retirement from the office last mentioned, and, with a reputation that places

him among the leading lawyers of the nation, he naturally controls a large and

important law business. In 1911 he was retained by the attorney general and

filed the petition to dissolve the United States Steel Corporation and several

of its subsidaries. The high regard in which he is held by his professional

confreres is indicated by the fact that he was president of the Tennessee State

Bar Association and in 1907-8 served as president of the American Bar

Association. He was vice-president of the Society for the Promotion of

International Arbitration, which was organized in the city of Chicago, in 1904.

The degree of LL. D. was conferred on him by Columbia University, the University

of Illinois and by Tale University. He and his wife are members of the

Presbyterian church. He is a thirty-two degree Scottish Rite Mason, also member

of American Society of International Law.



   On the 20th of April, 1876, was solemnized the marriage of Judge Dickinson to

Miss Martha Overton, daughter of John Overton, a representative citizen of

Nashville. There were three children of this union, John Overton (deceased).

Henry, and Jacob McGavock, Jr.



Additional Comments:
From:



A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in

commerce, industry and modern activities

by Will T. Hale

Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co.,  1913



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