John W. Dickinson

After graduating, Dickinson became the assistant principal at the Westfield Normal School. In 1856, he was promoted to principal, succeeding William H. Wells.^[2] Dickinson was a proponent of Oswego Movement, which sought to teach children through the use of objects rather than through memorization.^[1]

In 1877, Dickinson was named secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, a position previously held by Horace Mann, Barnas Sears, George S. Boutwell, and Joseph White.^[1] During his tenure, the school district system was abolished and replaced with a town system. A law providing funding for small towns to hire school superintendents was passed and Dickinson originated a plan that would allow smaller towns to partner together to hire a joint superintendent.^[2][3] Also during Dickinson's time in office, four new normal school buildings were constructed and model schools were incorporated into normal school instruction.^[3]

Dickinson was a member of the Williams College board of trustees from 1886 to 1890 and the Newton, Massachusetts school committee from 1888 to 1893.^[1]

Dickinson resigned as secretary on December 31, 1893, but remained involved in education, teaching courses in psychology and rhetoric at the Emerson School of Oratory.^[1][2] He also published two volumes of The Principals and Methods of Teaching, derived from a Knowledge of the Mind.^[1]

Upon accepting the position of secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, Dickinson moved to Newtonville, Massachusetts.^[2] He died there on February 16, 1901.^[3] He was survived by a daughter and predeceased by a son, John W. Dickinson Jr.^[2][4]