Asbury Dickins

Asbury Dickins
4th Secretary of the United States Senate
In office
December 13, 1836 – July 15, 1861
Preceded byWalter Lowrie
Succeeded byJohn Weiss Forney
8th Chief Clerk of the Department of State
In office
August 23, 1833 – December 12, 1836
Preceded byDaniel Brent
Succeeded byAaron Ogden Dayton
Personal details
Born(1780-07-29)July 29, 1780
Halifax County, North Carolina
DiedOctober 23, 1861(1861-10-23) (aged 81)
Washington, D.C.

Asbury Dickins (July 29, 1780 – October 23, 1861) was a United States government official who served as Secretary of the United States Senate from 1836 until shortly before he died in 1861.

Originally from North Carolina,[1] Dickins moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[2] and worked as a publisher and a bookseller. He formed a partnership with Joseph Dennie in 1800 and they began printing The Port Folio, a literary and political magazine, in January 1801.

Dickins entered government service as chief clerk of the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 1829. He then moved to the U.S. Department of State in 1833, again serving as the department's chief clerk. Dickins finally became Secretary of the Senate in 1836 and served under both Democratic and Whig majorities. During his tenure, the Secretary's office increased in size and professionalism.

Dickins died at his home in Washington, D.C. on October 23, 1861.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b Nuermberger, Ruth Ketring (July 1947). "Asbury Dickins (1780-1861): A Career in Government Service". The North Carolina Historical Review. 24 (3). North Carolina Office of Archives and History: 281–314. JSTOR 23515626. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  2. ^ a b "Dickens, Asbury". The Collector. Vol. XII, no. 6. March 1899. p. 69. Retrieved 2024-11-03.


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