Biographical Note

Born: Near Lowville, Lewis County, New York, on November 15, 1842.

Died: Binghamton, New York, on July 3, 1924.

Charles M. Dickinson, author, journalist, diplomat, was the son of Richard and Bessie (Rea) Dickinson. He is descended from a distinguished family prominent in the early colonial history of America. Dickinson was educated at the Fairfield and Lowville Academies, and, immediately after leaving school, accepted a teaching position in Haverstraw-on-the-Hudson, which he held until 1864. In that year he went to Binghamton, New York, to study law with the Honorable Daniel S. Dickinson. Dickinson married Bessie Virginia Hotchkiss, the only daughter of Giles M. Hotchkiss, an attorney in Binghamton. They later had two sons, Charles H. and Giles H., and one daughter (adopted) Mary A. Mason, a writer. Mr. Dickinson practiced law in Binghamton and New York City until 1878, when he became manager and editor of the Binghamton “Republic”. The newspaper was highly successful, and, in 1880, he became its sole proprietor. Throughout this period, Mr. Dickinson became increasingly interested in the writing of poetry, and, in 1889, his book of poems, “The Children and Other Verses”, was published. The title poem was one which he had written at the age of nineteen while teaching in a little county school at Haverstraw. It became famous, finding its way into many school texts of the period.

His newspaper career led to his interest in politics, and, in 1897 he was appointed the U.S. Consul-General to Turkey and, in 1901, diplomatic agent to Bulgaria. In this latter capacity, he contended successfully with the serious disturbance which arose when an American missionary, Miss Ellen M. Stone, was kidnapped by brigands and subsequently ransomed. In 1906, Mr. Dickinson was made a member of the board to draft regulations for the American Consular Service, being appointed American Consul-General at Large in that same year. On July 31, 1907, after the death of Mrs. Dickinson in Egypt, he resigned his diplomatic post, thus closing this distinguished part of his life. On February 2, 1910, he married Alice Bond Minard, daughter of Elias G. and Mary Adriance Minard, from Poughkeepsie, New York. After Charles' death in 1924, Alice remained a prominent citizen of Binghamton, served as President of the Federation of Women's Clubs of New York in the 1920's, and was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Women's Christian Temperance Union, and the National Republican Women's club. She was active locally in adult education as a teacher of parliamentary procedure until the 1960's. On October 28, 1938. she married Louis Balog.