Organic compounds are dehydrogenated to compounds having a higher degree of unsaturation by contacting the feedstock in the vapor phase in the presence of an oxygen-containing gas with a catalyst containing tin in an oxidized state in combination with at least one of the metals bismuth, cobalt, or nickel in an oxidized state. Representative of such conversions is the oxidative dehydrogenation of butane to 1,3-butadiene over a nickel stannate-containing catalyst. The conversion products are valuable compounds particularly useful as intermediates for the preparation of polymeric materials such as synthetic rubbers and the like.