Fonds F3542 - C. Heber Dickinson fonds

Clarence Heber Dickinson (1899-1999) was a Methodist/United Church minister and publisher. The son of John Dickinson and Edith Jane (nee) Pym, Dickinson was born in Anderson, Perth County, Ontario on October 8, 1899, along with his twin, Herbert Earl. He was educated at Victoria University, Toronto, where he received The Governor General’s Gold Medal on completion of the Bachelor of Divinity Degree, in 1926, and at Union Theological Seminary, New York. He was ordained by London Conference of the Methodist Church in 1924; one year prior to The United Church of Canada coming into being. He served as a student minister in a small congregational church on Long Island, New York before serving on Ashfield Circuit (near Lucknow, Ontario), at Moosejaw, and at Erskine-American Church in Montreal.

On May 31, 1930 he married Isobel Kneen (8 June 1896 – 1982), in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and they would go on to have three boys.

From 1937 to 1964, Rev. Dickinson served as Book Steward of the United Church Publishing House and as General Manager, at Ryerson Press in Toronto, Ontario. In 1948, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Victoria University for services with the United Church Publishing House and in 1967, he received a Canadian Medal for services with The English Speaking Union.

Rev. Dickinson retired in 1966 and would go on to serve as Associate Ministry of Chalmers United Church in Woodstock, Ontario. While living in the city, he helped form the Community Services Council, to examine and to integrate the various social services being rendered in the community. In addition, he was a member of the Woodstock Rotary Club, the Ministerial Association, the local branch of the Canadian Bible Society and The Canadian Club, as well as Learning Unlimited (Oxford). In 1990, he received an Ontario Senior Achievement Award for Services with Learning Unlimited (Oxford) and Social Services in the City of Woodstock. During his later years, he published a number of poetry books as well as wrote his autobiography.

Rev. Clarence Heber Dickinson passed away in Guelph on October 10, 1999.