Harry Thomas Dedrick, a widely known Wichita lawyer, was born in Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 6, 1869, a son of Peter Dedrick and wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Milner. Both parents are living and now reside in Wichita. Peter Dedrick, the father, born near Utica, N. Y., July 24, 1830, is eighty-one years of age, and despite his more than four score years, he yet enjoys the best of health, has never worn glasses, and is as spry and rugged as a man of sixty. He was formerly connected with the New York Life Insurance Company, at Kansas City, Mo., and represented that company up to 1872, receiving a salary of $5,000 per year. In 1872 he resigned that position and came to Kansas, where he preëmpted a homestead in Sumner county, on which he lived until about fifteen years ago, when he retired and removed to Wichita. The paternal grandparents of Harry T. were Peter and Margaret Dedrick. The Dedrick family is of Holland Dutch descent. Sarah Milner was born in Morgan county, Ohio, a daughter of George and Mary Ellen Milner, the former of whom was of Scotch descent, while the latter was of Irish descent. Peter and Sarah (Milner) Dedrick are the parents of three sons and two daughters: Harry Thomas, William Milner, Mrs. Laura Webb, Mrs. Mary Buzzi, and Carl Q. These children all reside in Wichita, except Carl, who is a farmer, of Butler county, Kansas.

Harry T. Dedrick was reared on his father's farm in Sumner county, and received his earlier education in a Sumner county country school. Later he attended a normal school at Fort Scott, Kan. His preparation for law was begun in Garfield University at Wichita, where he remained one year before taking up a course of private law study with Martin & Eckstein, of Wichita. He pursued his law studies in their office one year, then following one year of practice he matriculated in the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and was graduated in that institution in 1893. He then returned to Wichita, which has been the scene of his whole subsequent professional career. For seven years he was the law partner of Otto G. Eckstein, one of his former preceptors, but in 1900 he took as a partner his brother, William M. Dedrick, who had just graduated in the law department of the University of Kansas, and thus formed the present law firm of Dedrick & Dedrick, which is now one of the well known law firms of Wichita.

On Oct. 11, 1893, was solemnized Mr. Dedrick's marriage to Miss Edith Tusch, of Wichita, and to them have been born a son and a daughter: Joseph Keeling, born April 7, 1898, and Ruth Carolina, born June 26, 1910. Mr. Dedrick is a Republican in his political views and adherency, but has never held public office other than that of chairman of the Republican central committee, in which capacity he served four years. Fraternally he affiliates, by membership, with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Professionally he associates as a member of the Sedgwick County Bar Association, and of the Kansas State Bar Association. He was formerly a noncommissioned officer in the state militia. Mr. Dedrick has also had the pleasure of foreign travel, having spent some four months in England and other of the British Isles, while on a business trip.