Dixon Family

Florence Worden Dixon Leach was born in Missoula, Montana, on 20 March 1899 to Joseph Moore Dixon and Caroline Melissa Worden. Florence was the second daughter of six. Joseph Dixon was an attorney who became active in politics and he served in the U.S. House and then Senate from 1903 to 1913. During those years, the Dixons lived in Washington, D.C., but travelled back to Missoula frequently. Florence graduated from Missoula County High School in 1916, and attended the University of Montana from 1916 to 1920. During her time at the university she was a member of the Beta Phi Chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, served as president of the Women's Self Government Association, and was vice-president of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM). Following graduation, Florence studied bacteriology at Johns Hopkins.

While at Hopkins, Florence met Charles Nelson Leach (1884 - 1971), a Vermont physician and World War I veteran. They were married in Hong Kong on September 22, 1922, and spent the next few years in Manila where he was engaged in public health work. Later assignments took them to Montgomery, Alabama, New York, Prague, Vienna, Peking, London, and Paris. Ultimately they retired to Newfane, Vermont. Charles and Florence Leach had three children, Carolyn, Nancy, and Charles. Florence Leach died in 1991.

Virginia Dixon was born to Joseph Moore Dixon and Caroline Melissa Worden on 14 December 1896 in Missoula, Montana. Throughout her life, Virginia's family nickname was "Dick." She attended both the Potomac and Miss Madeira's Schools in Washington, D.C. before attending Vassar College from 1912 to 1916. Virginia received an advance degree in Economics at Columbia University in 1919 and worked as an economics instructor at Mt. Holyoke College from 1919-1920. She worked in New York City for some time afterwards. In 1924 Virginia and a cousin, Barbara Sterling, sailed to Manila to visit Florence Leach and family. Virginia's 1924 travels also included other parts of the Far East, the Middle East and Europe where she especially enjoyed the cultural opportunities of Vienna and Paris.

In 1929 she married Alexander Dean and they resided in New Haven, Connecticut. Mr. Dean taught at Yale Drama School and wrote a book titled Fundamentals of Play Directing that was reprinted frequently with the most recent edition printed in 1989. He died from hypertension in 1939.

Virginia Dixon Dean remained active and close to her extended family until her death in January, 1974, in New Haven.

From the guide to the Dixon Family Papers, 1916-1942, (University of Montana--Missoula Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections)