A method of making a dehydrogenation catalyst, comprising: combining a zinc precursor, an iron precursor, a cobalt precursor, a magnesium precursor, optionally a calcium precursor, and optionally an M precursor, in water to form a mixture, wherein M is selected from silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), cerium (Ce), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), potassium, lanthanum (La), lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), phosphorus, palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), silicon (Si), vanadium, tungsten, yttrium, as well as combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing, wherein the zinc precursor comprises initial zinc and the iron precursor comprises initial iron; adding base to the mixture to form a slurry having a pH of 7 to 8.5; aging the slurry at a temperature of greater than or equal to 40°C while agitating; filtering a precipitate from the aged slurry to collect a catalyst precursor; drying and calcining the catalyst precursor to form the catalyst; wherein the catalyst has the formula FeZn a Co b Mg c Ca d Cl e M f O x wherein the amounts are in mole ratios relative to 1 mole of iron, "a" is 0.07 to 0.7 moles; "b" is 0.01 to 0.20 moles; "c" is 0.001 to 0.40 moles; "d" is less than or equal to 0.40 moles; "e" is less than or equal to 0.10 moles; "f" is less than or equal to 0.20 moles; and "x" is a number depending on the relative amount and valence of the elements different from oxygen in Formula, and one of two following alternatives: (i) wherein greater than or equal to 88% of the initial zinc is recovered, wherein the mole ratio of the initial zinc to the initial iron is less than or equal to 0.35; or (ii) wherein if the pH is greater than 8.1 then the aging time is greater than or equal to 90 minutes and/or the aging temperature is greater than or equal to 75°C; and wherein the mole ratio of the initial zinc to the initial iron is less than or equal to 0.35. combining a zinc precursor, an iron precursor, a cobalt precursor, a magnesium precursor, optionally a calcium precursor, and optionally an M precursor, in water to form a mixture, wherein M is selected from silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), cerium (Ce), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), potassium, lanthanum (La), lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), sodium (Na), nickel (Ni), phosphorus, palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), silicon (Si), vanadium, tungsten, yttrium, as well as combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing, wherein the zinc precursor comprises initial zinc and the iron precursor comprises initial iron; adding base to the mixture to form a slurry having a pH of 7 to 8.5; aging the slurry at a temperature of greater than or equal to 40°C while agitating; filtering a precipitate from the aged slurry to collect a catalyst precursor; drying and calcining the catalyst precursor to form the catalyst; wherein the catalyst has the formula FeZn a Co b Mg c Ca d Cl e M f O x wherein the amounts are in mole ratios relative to 1 mole of iron, "a" is 0.07 to 0.7 moles; "b" is 0.01 to 0.20 moles; "c" is 0.001 to 0.40 moles; "d" is less than or equal to 0.40 moles; "e" is less than or equal to 0.10 moles; "f" is less than or equal to 0.20 moles; and "x" is a number depending on the relative amount and valence of the elements different from oxygen in Formula, and one of two following alternatives: (i) wherein greater than or equal to 88% of the initial zinc is recovered, wherein the mole ratio of the initial zinc to the initial iron is less than or equal to 0.35; or (ii) wherein if the pH is greater than 8.1 then the aging time is greater than or equal to 90 minutes and/or the aging temperature is greater than or equal to 75°C; and wherein the mole ratio of the initial zinc to the initial iron is less than or equal to 0.35. (i) wherein greater than or equal to 88% of the initial zinc is recovered, wherein the mole ratio of the initial zinc to the initial iron is less than or equal to 0.35; or (ii) wherein if the pH is greater than 8.1 then the aging time is greater than or equal to 90 minutes and/or the aging temperature is greater than or equal to 75°C; and wherein the mole ratio of the initial zinc to the initial iron is less than or equal to 0.35.