William Austin Dickinson (April 16, 1829 – August 16, 1895) was an American lawyer. Known to family and friends as "Austin", he was the older brother of the poet

Emily Dickinson Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...

. After graduating from both Williston Seminary and Amherst College, Dickinson taught briefly before pursuing a legal education. He attended Harvard Law School, then joined his father, Edward Dickinson, in his law practice. After his father's death, Austin became treasurer of Amherst College from 1873 until his death. In addition to his law practice and treasury work, Dickinson took part in numerous civic projects and responsibilities, such as moderating the town meetings from 1881 until his death, and acting as president of the Village Improvement Association. Dickinson on July 1, 1856 married Susan Huntington Gilbert, a friend of his sister Emily from childhood. They had three children and resided at the Evergreens, which stood, and still stands, adjacent to the Dickinson Homestead in downtown Amherst. Aside from his connection to his world-famous sister, Emily, Austin is also known for his longtime affair with Mabel Loomis Todd, a young Amherst College faculty wife who would eventually edit the first few collections of Emily Dickinson's poetry.

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References

*Longsworth, Polly. 1984. ''Austin and Mabel: The Amherst Affair and Love Letters of Austin Dickinson and Mabel Loomis Todd''. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. . *Sewall, Richard B.. 1974. ''The Life of Emily Dickinson''. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. . People from Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst College alumni Harvard Law School alumni 1829 births 1895 deaths 19th-century American poets American male poets Dickinson family {{US-law-bio-stub