Dean Babcock was born in Canton, Illinois on January 14, 1888. He was a pupil of John Vanderpoel, Robert Henri, and Helen Hyde. His work is in the collections of bookplates in New York State Library, Albany; Newark Public Library, Denver Art Museum, University of Denver Library. He illustrated Song of the Rockies, by C E Hewes and Westering by Thomas H. Ferril (Yale Press). He was a research associate in the  Print Department at the Denver Art Museum.