Daniel "Colonel" P. Dean (c. 1845-1916) was born in Alabama and died in Brooklyn, New York. Dean fought for the Confederate army during the American Civil War, serving as chief aide to brigadier general Robert V. Richardson. Afterwards, he worked as an attorney in Alabama. By 1897 Dean had moved to New York. Dean was a member and leading orator of the Tammany Democrats, the Democratic Party political machine that dominated New York City and state politics. In 1905 an association named in honor of Dean called the "Colonel Dean Democratic Tammany Association" was organized with Dean serving as president. Dean first started writing Mary Baker Eddy in September 1909 looking for advice. He attended church services, read Christian Science publications, and received Christian Science treatment through prayer from a Christian Science practitioner. He wrote a lecture on Christian Science and "An Ode to Reverend Mary Baker Eddy," of which he sent to Eddy and had copyrighted in 1910.

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