Alan J. Dixon
Encyclopedia
Alan John Dixon is a Democratic politician who was elected to various Illinois state offices from 1951 to 1981 and served as United States Senator
from Illinois
from 1981 until 1993.
on July 7, 1927, Dixon attended Illinois public schools and later earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and his J.D.
from Washington University in St. Louis
. While attending the University of Illinois he joined the Delta Upsilon
fraternity. During World War II
, Dixon served in the United States Navy
.
from 1951 to 1963 and as a member of the Illinois State Senate from 1963 to 1971, serving as minority whip for part of that time. In 1970 he was elected Illinois State Treasurer
, an office he kept until 1977. In 1976 he was elected Illinois Secretary of State and served in that position until 1981 when he took office as a United States Senator from Illinois.
The 1976 Illinois State election was turbulent for the Democratic Party. Outgoing Governor Dan Walker
had lost the support of the Party and the primary election. Dixon's election as Secretary of State left two years on his term as State Treasurer. To prevent Walker from appointing himself or anyone else to the position, Dixon proposed to incoming Republican Governor Jim Thompson
that he would resign after Thompson was inaugurated if Thompson agreed to Dixon's choice for State Treasurer. Dixon's choice was Donald R. Smith, a Republican who was the ranking Civil Service employee in the State Treasurer's office and who had agreed not to run for reelection.
, a future White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the George W. Bush Administration, used a false identity
to enter the campaign office of Alan J. Dixon, who was running for Illinois State Treasurer
, and stole 1000 sheets of paper with campaign letterhead. Rove then printed fake campaign rally fliers promising "free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing," and distributed them at rock concerts and homeless shelters, with the effect of disrupting Dixon's rally. Dixon eventually won the election. Rove's role would not become publicly known until August 1973. Rove told the Dallas Morning News in 1999, "It was a youthful prank at the age of 19 and I regret it."
and Paul Simon
, both of whom sought the presidency. In 1992, Dixon lost in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to Carol Moseley Braun
. This defeat shocked observers; at the time no Senator had been defeated in a primary in over a decade and Dixon had a long record of electoral success. His vote
to confirm Clarence Thomas
to the Supreme Court contributed to his defeat.
Braun, a black woman, had the complete support of black voters, and as a known reformist liberal got a large share of liberal voters, and also attracted many women voters in what was termed "The Year of the Woman".
Another factor was the third candidate in the race, multi-millionaire attorney Al Hofeld. Hofeld drew away some of the moderate and conservative Democrats who normally supported Dixon. He also spent a lot of money running advertisements attacking Dixon, weakening his support.
Commission in 1994 and 1995.
After his term in the Senate, Dixon resumed practicing law with the Bryan Cave
law firm
in St. Louis
and now lives in Fairview Heights, Illinois
.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
from 1981 until 1993.
Biography
Born in Belleville, IllinoisBelleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
on July 7, 1927, Dixon attended Illinois public schools and later earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
and his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
. While attending the University of Illinois he joined the Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America...
fraternity. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Dixon served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
State political career
Dixon served as a member of the Illinois House of RepresentativesIllinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
from 1951 to 1963 and as a member of the Illinois State Senate from 1963 to 1971, serving as minority whip for part of that time. In 1970 he was elected Illinois State Treasurer
Illinois State Treasurer
The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois.-Current occupant and duties:, the Treasurer of Illinois is Dan Rutherford, a member of the Republican Party...
, an office he kept until 1977. In 1976 he was elected Illinois Secretary of State and served in that position until 1981 when he took office as a United States Senator from Illinois.
The 1976 Illinois State election was turbulent for the Democratic Party. Outgoing Governor Dan Walker
Dan Walker
Dan Meirion Walker is a British sports journalist. He is the current presenter of Football Focus, the BBC's Saturday lunchtime football show. He has also been seen presenting sport on the BBC News Channel and BBC Network News, as well as regularly reporting for Score, Football Focus and Match of...
had lost the support of the Party and the primary election. Dixon's election as Secretary of State left two years on his term as State Treasurer. To prevent Walker from appointing himself or anyone else to the position, Dixon proposed to incoming Republican Governor Jim Thompson
James R. Thompson
James Robert Thompson, Jr. , also known as Big Jim Thompson, was the 37th and longest serving Governor of the US state of Illinois...
that he would resign after Thompson was inaugurated if Thompson agreed to Dixon's choice for State Treasurer. Dixon's choice was Donald R. Smith, a Republican who was the ranking Civil Service employee in the State Treasurer's office and who had agreed not to run for reelection.
Karl Rove and the Dixon campaign incident
In the fall of 1970, Karl RoveKarl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
, a future White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the George W. Bush Administration, used a false identity
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
to enter the campaign office of Alan J. Dixon, who was running for Illinois State Treasurer
Illinois State Treasurer
The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois.-Current occupant and duties:, the Treasurer of Illinois is Dan Rutherford, a member of the Republican Party...
, and stole 1000 sheets of paper with campaign letterhead. Rove then printed fake campaign rally fliers promising "free beer, free food, girls and a good time for nothing," and distributed them at rock concerts and homeless shelters, with the effect of disrupting Dixon's rally. Dixon eventually won the election. Rove's role would not become publicly known until August 1973. Rove told the Dallas Morning News in 1999, "It was a youthful prank at the age of 19 and I regret it."
United States Senate
Dixon was generally considered a moderate and was less visible nationally than either of his Illinois colleagues, Charles PercyCharles H. Percy
Charles Harting "Chuck" Percy was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964. He was elected United States Senator from Illinois in 1966, re-elected through his term ending in 1985; he concentrated on business and foreign relations...
and Paul Simon
Paul Simon (politician)
Paul Martin Simon was an American politician from Illinois. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1985 and United States Senate from 1985 to 1997. He was a member of the Democratic Party...
, both of whom sought the presidency. In 1992, Dixon lost in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Elizabeth Moseley Braun is an American feminist politician and lawyer who represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1999. She was the first and to date only African-American woman elected to the United States Senate, the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator in an...
. This defeat shocked observers; at the time no Senator had been defeated in a primary in over a decade and Dixon had a long record of electoral success. His vote
Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination
On July 1, 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court of the United States to replace Thurgood Marshall, who had announced his retirement...
to confirm Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
to the Supreme Court contributed to his defeat.
Braun, a black woman, had the complete support of black voters, and as a known reformist liberal got a large share of liberal voters, and also attracted many women voters in what was termed "The Year of the Woman".
Another factor was the third candidate in the race, multi-millionaire attorney Al Hofeld. Hofeld drew away some of the moderate and conservative Democrats who normally supported Dixon. He also spent a lot of money running advertisements attacking Dixon, weakening his support.
Later life
Dixon chaired the Defense Base Realignment and ClosureBase Realignment and Closure
Base Realignment and Closure is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory to reduce...
Commission in 1994 and 1995.
After his term in the Senate, Dixon resumed practicing law with the Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave
Bryan Cave LLP is an international law firm with twenty-one offices worldwide, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.- Overview :The international law firm Bryan Cave LLP dates back to 1873 in St. Louis. Founded in 1873 in St. Louis as King, Phillips and Stewart, the firm became Stewart, Bryan,...
law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and now lives in Fairview Heights, Illinois
Fairview Heights, Illinois
Fairview Heights is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,078 at the 2010 census. Fairview Heights is a dominant shopping center for Southwestern Illinois and includes numerous shopping plazas and the St...
.
Electoral history
- 1980 General Election - U.S. Senate
- Alan J. Dixon (D), 56.0%
- Dave O'NealDave O'NealDavid C. O’Neal was the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1977 to 1981. For six years he served as Saint Clair County Sheriff, the first Republican to hold that office in twenty years.-Background:...
(R), 42.5%
- 1986 General Election - U.S. Senate
- Alan J. Dixon (D) (inc.), 65.4%
- Judy KoehlerJudy KoehlerJudy Koehler is a former Illinois State Representative, and Republican nominee for a seat in the U. S. Senate in 1986. Koehler, defeated George Ranney in the Republican primary election but was unable to oust incumbent Alan Dixon in the general election....
(R), 34.1%
- 1992 Democratic Primary - U.S. Senate
- Carol Moseley BraunCarol Moseley BraunCarol Elizabeth Moseley Braun is an American feminist politician and lawyer who represented Illinois in the United States Senate from 1993 to 1999. She was the first and to date only African-American woman elected to the United States Senate, the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator in an...
(D), 38.30% - Alan J. Dixon (D) (inc.), 34.61%
- Albert Hofeld (D), 27.09%
- Carol Moseley Braun