Joseph Thomas Dickerson was an American judge and politician who served on the United States Court for the Indian Territory between 1904 and 1907, in the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

between 1914 and 1916, and as an appointed judge in Oklahoma County.

Early life and career

Joseph Thomas Dickerson was born to Thomas and Hannah Dickerson on January 8, 1864, in Lewisburg, Ohio. His family moved to

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

before settling in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

where he attended the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

; he graduated in 1887. An active member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, he practiced law in

Marion, Kansas Marion is a city in, and the county seat of, Marion County, Kansas, United States. It was named in honor of Francis Marion, a brigadier general of the American Revolutionary War, known as the "Swamp Fox". As of the 2020 census, the population ...

and was close with U.S. Senator Charles Curtis.

Judgeships and political career

In 1904, the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

created four additional judgeships for

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

and Dickerson was appointed to fill one of the new seats in the Southern District by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

; he served until statehood. After statehood, he served on the State Board of Affairs. He ran as the

's nominee in the 1912 U.S. Senate election. In 1914 he was elected to one term in the

. During his term, he was one of the impeachment managers for A.P. Watson's impeachment trial. After retiring from the Oklahoma House he practiced law in

Oklahoma County Oklahoma County is located in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 718,633, making it the most populous county in Oklahoma. The county seat is Oklahoma City, the state capital and largest ci ...

. In 1934, Democratic Governor

William H. Murray William Henry Davis "Alfalfa Bill" Murray (November 21, 1869 – October 15, 1956) was an American educator, lawyer, and politician who became active in Oklahoma before statehood as legal adviser to Governor Douglas H. Johnston of the Chic ...

appointed Dickerson to serve on the newly created common pleas court in OKlahoma County.

Personal life and death

Dickerson married Carrie Sacket in 1891. He died on February 7, 1954, in

Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. The population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States Census, making it the fifth largest cit ...

and is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dickerson, Joseph 1864 births 1954 deaths County judges in Oklahoma Indian Territory judges Kansas lawyers People from Preble County, Ohio Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives University of Kansas alumni 20th-century members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives