Judge Dean was born in Pennsylvania and went to law school at the University of Michigan. In 1870 he moved to Kansas City and entered into a partnership with Judge Holmes, which continued until he left to enter the firm of Tichenor, Warner & Dean. He had a reputation as one of the great trial lawyers of Missouri. Dean was also instrumental in shaping the growing city of Kansas City. He helped draw a city charter and represented the city when it acquired the water works. He served as vice president of the Kansas City School of Law from 1895-1902, then succeeded Francis M. Black to serve as president for the next 25 years. At the law school, he lectured on corporations and corporate securities. He was responsible for adding the post-graduate program and overseeing construction of the law school in 1926, to which he donated his personal law library. Elmer Powell said, "Few men dared to antagonize Mr. Dean, for he had an established reputation of being a fiery and untiring fighter." In addition to his commitment to the Kansas City School of Law , Dean was one of the founders and trustees of the Kansas City Art Institute and served from 1893 to 1894 as president of Kansas City Bar Association.
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