William Austin Dickinson

William Austin Dickinson (April 16, 1829 – August 16, 1895) was an American lawyer who lived and worked in Amherst, Massachusetts. Known to family and friends as "Austin", he was, notably, the older brother of the world-famous poet Emily Dickinson.

"Austin Dickinson" redirects here. For the musician, see As Lions. For the American football coach, see Austin Dickinson (American football).
William Austin Dickinson
BornApril 16, 1829 Edit this on Wikidata
Amherst Edit this on Wikidata
DiedAugust 16, 1895 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 66)
Amherst Edit this on Wikidata
Resting placeWildwood Cemetery Edit this on Wikidata
Alma mater
Occupation
Spouse(s)Susan Huntington Gilbert Dickinson Edit this on Wikidata
ChildrenMartha Dickinson Bianchi Edit this on Wikidata
Parent(s)
FamilyLavinia Norcross Dickinson, Emily Dickinson Edit this on Wikidata

After graduating from both Williston Seminary and Amherst College, Dickinson taught briefly before pursuing a legal education.[1] 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.[2] He was responsible for getting Frederick Law Olmstead to design the Amherst Common, and was instrumental in the development of Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst.[3]

On July 1, 1856,[4] Dickinson 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.

Austin is buried in the cemetery he helped found, Wildwood Cemetery, as is, in a separate family plot, Mabel Loomis Todd.[5] Emily Dickinson is not buried at Wildwood, but at Amherst West Cemetery.

Austin and Susan Dickinson's home, largely intact since they died,[6] can be visited through the Emily Dickinson Museum.

Notes
  1. "William Austin Dickinson (1829-1895), brother". Emily Dickinson Museum.
  2. Sewall, p. 117
  3. Dobrow, Julie (2018). After Emily: Two Remarkable Women and the Legacy of America's Greatest Poet. W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-35749-3.
  4. Dickinson Bianchi, Martha (1924). The Life and Letters of Emily Dickinson. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 52.
  5. Wildwood Cemetery website https://www.wildwood-cemetery.com/tour-ideas-at-wildwood.html.
  6. See Amherst paper note about repairs to both Austin and Susan's home, and Emily's. https://www.amherst.edu/news/news_releases/2018/9-18/protecting-the-evergreens

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. ISBN 0-374-10716-5.
  • Sewall, Richard B.. 1974. The Life of Emily Dickinson. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. ISBN 0-674-53080-2.


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