Basin Electric original incorporator Ernest J. Dickinson
Ernest J. Dickinson was the general manager of NIPCO from 1960 to 1969.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- September 30, 2011
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Ernest J. Dickinson |
Ernest James Dickinson was born Dec. 4, 1905. He graduated in 1930 with a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
From 1930 to 1934, he was an engineer for Oklahoma Power Company, Sand Springs, OK. He married Ruby Jean Roark Sept. 6, 1931, at Fort Smith, AK. He was promoted to assistant director at Oklahoma Power and served in that position from 1934 to 1943.
In 1943, he became chief of systems operation for the U.S. Department of Interior, power administration, in Prior, OK. He transferred within the Interior Department and continued to work as an electrical engineer in Tulsa, OK, until January 1948. He then went to work doing field construction for the South West Power Administration, out of Tulsa from January 1948 to June of that year. He then became the area power manager of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Grand Island, NE, from 1948 to 1955. He was promoted to chief of the Power Field Branch and served in that position until 1959. He was hired in 1960 by Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO) to serve as its general manager. It was during this time that he became an incorporator of Basin Electric.
He retired on Dec. 1, 1969, and eventually moved to Oklahoma. He continued to serve as a consultant to NIPCO after his retirement.
The Dickinson's had three sons, Ray, Donald and Thomas, and one daughter, Norma. Ernest died Feb. 24, 1996. Ruby died Aug. 19, 2008.
On May 5, 1961, 69 people from several states gathered at the Patterson Hotel in Bismarck, ND, to sign Articles of Incorporation for Basin Electric. Their names are on a brass plaque immediately outside of the main entrance to the Headquarters building. Kathi Risch, Basin Electric senior staff writer/editor, has been seeking information about the original incorporators and compiling these profiles.
In the next several months, prior to the cooperative’s 50th anniversary celebration to be held at the 2011 annual meeting on Nov. 9, Risch will share what she has uncovered. If you have information you would like to share about a Basin Electric original incorporator and you haven’t been contacted, please call Risch at 701-557-5606 or send information, photo scans, etc. to krisch@bepc.com.
See all the original incorporators profiled to date.
Headquarters
1717 East Interstate Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58503-0564 USA
Phone: 701.223.0441
Basin Electric Power Cooperative will provide cost-effective wholesale energy along with products and services that support and unite rural America.
