Benjamin Willey Dean was born in
Manchester, Vermont on January 26, 1827, and was the son of Peter Werden Dean and Philinda (Willey) Dean. He attended
Colby College, graduated from
Dartmouth College in 1848, and received a master's degree from Dartmouth in 1851. Dean joined the
Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity while attending Colby. While at Dartmouth, he became a member of the
Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. Dean studied law with attorneys Abishai Stoddard of
Grafton, and Charles J. Walker of
Bellows Falls, and attended
State and National Law School. He was admitted to the bar in 1852, and practiced in
Elmira, New York before relocating to Vermont, where he practiced first in Bellows Falls, and then in Grafton. An active participant in the
Baptist church, Dean was a life member of the
American Baptist Missionary Union. A
Republican, Dean served in local offices including register of probate for the
Windham County district. In 1856 and 1857 he served in the
Vermont House of Representatives. In 1857, Dean became Vermont's
Secretary of State, and he served in this position until 1861. ==Death and burial==