Dixon, Julian

Biography

Julian Carey Dixon, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member, 1973-1978. His 63rd District included portions of Los Angeles County. Following redistricting in 1974, he represented the 49th District which included portions of Los Angeles County.

Dixon was born in Washington, D.C. on August 8, 1934; his family moved to Los Angeles in 1947. He attended Los Angeles grammar and high schools and he graduated from Los Angeles State College with a B.S. in Political Science in 1962. He attended Southwestern University Law School, graduating in 1967. He served in the United States Army as a Sergeant, 1957-1960. Dixon married Bettye Lee and had a son, Cary Gordon Dixon.

Dixon was a member of the State Sickle Cell Anemia Advisory Committee, the NAACP, the Urban League and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Prior to being elected to the State Assembly, he was Administrative Assistant to State Senator Mervyn M. Dymally. He was a delegate to the California State Democratic conventions, 1972-1978, and to the Democratic National Convention, 1976.

Dixon was first elected to the State Assembly in 1972. He served in the Assembly from 1973-1978. According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks), Dixon served on the following committees as a State Assembly Member:

In 1979, Julian Dixon began his eleven consecutive terms as a Representative in the United States Congress. Dixon was known as an influential conciliator who created bipartisan coalitions, yet held very few press conferences compared to most of his colleagues. He served as senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. In 1989, he was chair of the Committee on the Standards of Official Conduct when it investigated House Speaker Jim Wright, who later resigned. As a Representative, he helped secure emergency funds for damaged businesses after the 1992 civil disturbances in Los Angeles, and for communities after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. He was a leading supporter of Los Angeles' commuter rail system. He also chaired the appropriations panel responsible for Washington, D.C.

Julian Dixon died on December 8, 2000, shortly after winning re-election to his 12th term in the House with 84% of the vote. He is buried in Inglewood Cemetery, Los Angeles.

From the guide to the Dixon (Julian C.) Papers, 1973-1978, (California State Archives)