Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 21, 1960.
Doing Things Moderately Is Mark Dickover’s Theme
“I believe in doing everything in moderation. That’s why I am the only fellow alive today, that was in the banking business during the depression of 1929.”
This was how Mark L. Dickover, board chairman of Valparaiso First Federal Savings and Loan association, expressed his primary reason for longevity as he observed his 91st birthday today by “working as usual” at his desk at the local banking institution.
Dickover is embarking upon his 66th year in the banking field, a career which started in 1894 during a chance meeting on a downtown street corner with Valparaiso banker, DeForrest Skinner.
“Actually I was on the loose from a job as assistant postmaster,” Dickover recalled today. “I had been let out because of a change of political administration, when I accidentally ran into Skinner and was offered a job in his bank. My previous business training helped me from the start.”
Dickover recalled that the Valparaiso Building, Loan Fund and Savings association kept its doors open and continued to pay dividends during the depression.
“We stopped making loans in order to use our assets for our shareholders,” he stated. “It was a lot of hard work, long hours and astute planning but it was worth it.”
Lincoln Admirer
A boyhood admirer of Abraham Lincoln, large pictures of the Great Emancipator adorn the walls of his office. Dickover said the honesty portrayed by Lincoln has always been a component part of his own life.
Relative to the importance issues of a public port and impending heavy industrialization in the north [art of the county, Dickover said he feels this area will eventually be developed similar to Lake county.
“It is inevitable that industrialization will be built solidly along Lake Michigan from Chicago to Michigan City,” the banker commented.
Sees Port Development
“I may not live to see it. It will develop slowly, but it will come,” he prophesied.
Dickover said we should have the public port near Burns ditch. “We are the only state bordering on the Great Lakes that does not have a public port. I have been waiting all my life for that development. I hope it will come in time for me to see it become a reality.”
Proudly he concluded with, “I have always followed my politics closely. I have voted for a President 18 times; I have ever missed a primary; never missed a general election and have never had to be hauled to the polls.”
BANKER OBSERVES 91ST BIRTHDAYーMark L. Dickover, board chairman of Valparaiso First Federal Savings and Loan association, receives congratulations on 91st birthday today from young Tony Dixon, of East Gary.
