A popular 1958 television game show featured San Quentin Warden Fred Dickson as one of the contestants.
In “To Tell the Truth,” three people claiming to be the same person were asked questions by celebrity panelists to figure out who was telling the truth.
A July 1958 episode left the celebrities trying to figure out who was really the warden of San Quentin.
“I have been in prison work most of my adult life. I have worked in prisons in three different states. In 1956, I was voted Warden of the Year by the Wardens Association of America. I am presently warden of the California State Prison at San Quentin,” the host read from a statement signed by the real warden.
Panelists included actors Polly Bergen, Jackie Cooper and Kitty Carlisle as well as columnist Hy Gardener.
“(Contestant) number one, there is a rather famous women’s prison in California. What is the name of that prison?” asked Bergen.
“Um, Corona,” the contestant responded.
“The last answer got me confused (so) I voted for number two. I thought it was number one but I thought the famous women’s prison was Tehachapi but he said something else. I may be wrong,” she said, holding her marked ballot.
Carlisle was the only one who voted for number one, the correct answer.
California Institution for Women at Tehachapi was relocated to Corona after a severe earthquake in 1952.
Who was Warden Fred Dickson?
In 1944, during the massive reorganization of the department, Dickson was the assistant warden of San Quentin. Prior to his work in California, Dickson spent “22 years of work in a Nebraska reformatory,” according to the Sausalito News, Oct. 12, 1944.
Dickson was appointed San Quentin’s warden on Sept. 4, 1957, replacing longtime Warden Clinton T. Duffy. The new warden continued the rehabilitative efforts of his predecessor.
“San Quentin State Prison inmates assisted the Marin Tuberculosis and Health Association with preparations for the annual Christmas Seal Campaign,” reported the newspaper on Nov. 19, 1960. “With night education officer Delbert Taylor assisting supervising clerk Joe Quinn, the inmates folded over 100,000 sheets of Christmas seals and stuffed many of the letters. ‘We are very happy to be able to assist this very worthy organization of Marin County,’ said Fred R. Dickson, Warden of San Quentin.”
Giving back to the community helped make amends for their crimes, according to Dickson.
“For the third straight year, San Quentin prison inmates will donate their art and handicraft work to be sold at City of Hope’s annual (fundraiser to benefit the) treatment and research in catastrophic diseases,” reported the Sausalito News, Feb. 20, 1963.
Named chairman of oversight organization
In 1964, Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown named Dickson as chairman of the Adult Authority, overseeing the corrections department.
“Fred Dickson is one of the top names in the field of corrections in the United States. As warden of San Quentin, he became internationally known as an effective, wise and humane corrections officer. I know he will provide the leadership which will allow the authority to do its best work,” said Gov. Brown, July 22, 1964, Sausalito News.
He died seven years later.
“Dickson died at Ross General Hospital after a heart attack. He was 70 years old,” reported The New York Times, Feb. 9, 1971.
Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
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