Edward Augustus Dickson
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Edward Augustus Dickson (1879–1956) was an American journalist and politician. He served as a member of the Regents of the University of California for 43 years.[1] In that capacity, he was a co-founder of the University of California, Los Angeles and earned the nickname "Godfather of UCLA".[1]
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Edward Augustus Dickson | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | August 29, 1879 Sheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | February 22, 1956 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Burial place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Educator |
Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Wilhelmina de Wolff (m. 1907) |
Biography
Early life
Edward Augustus Dickson was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on August 29, 1879.[2][3][4][5] When he was six years old, his father died and his mother moved with him and his older brother to Sacramento.[6] He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1901.[2][3][5]
Career
He taught in Japan in 1901–1902.[2][3] During his time in Japan, he drafted a thesis on education that he planned to submit for admission to a Master of Education program upon his return to the United States. Unfortunately, an accident while boarding a steamship home sent his trunk and his manuscript inside to the bottom of Yokohama harbor.[6]
Back in California, Dickson turned to a career in journalism.[6] He worked as a journalist for the Sacramento Record Union, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Los Angeles Express.[2][3][4] In 1919, he purchased the Los Angeles Express and became its editor.[4][5]
Dickson co-founded the Lincoln–Roosevelt League, which helped elect Hiram Johnson as governor of California.[1] In 1913, Johnson tried to return the favor by offering Dickson the position of chairman of the California Railroad Commission, one of the most powerful positions in the government of California.[1] Johnson was astonished when Dickson refused to accept the appointment, and asked him, "What do you want, Dick?"[1] Dickson replied: "The only appointment that interests me is that of regent."[1]
On October 25, 1917, Dickson had lunch with Ernest Carroll Moore (1871–1955) at the Jonathan Club, a private member's club in Los Angeles.[2][3] Together, they decided to establish the Southern Branch in Westwood, Los Angeles, which eventually became the new campus of UCLA.[2][3] He served as a regent for 43 years, until his death in 1956.[2][3][4] During his last eight years on the Board of Regents, he served as chair of the board.[6]
He served as President of the Western Federal Savings and Loan Association from 1931 to 1956.[4] He also sat on the board of directors of the Central Investment Corporation.[4]
He was a member of the California Republican Party and served as a delegate to the 1932 Republican National Convention.[4] He also served on the board of directors of the Olympic Games Association for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.[4] Furthermore, he was involved with the Los Angeles Art Association, the Los Angeles County Art Institute and the UCLA Art Council.[4] He was featured in Who's Who in America.[4]
Personal life
He married Wilhelmina de Wolff in 1907.[4]
Death
He died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles on February 22, 1956, at the age of seventy-six, and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.[2][3][7]
Legacy
After his death, UCLA honored Dickson by naming two of the largest open spaces on campus after him.[6] UCLA's main campus quadrangle is known as Dickson Plaza.[6] The area immediately to the east, including the entire open space between Perloff and Schoenberg Halls and a bridge over a now-filled arroyo, is known as Dickson Court.[6]
Bibliography
- Dickson, The University of California at Los Angeles: Its Origin and Formative Years (1955)