Alan J. Dixon
| Alan J. Dixon | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from Illinois |
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In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Adlai Stevenson III |
| Succeeded by | Carol Moseley Braun |
| Illinois Secretary of State | |
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In office January 10, 1977 – January 12, 1981 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Howlett |
| Succeeded by | Jim Edgar |
| Illinois Treasurer | |
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In office January 11, 1971 – January 10, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Charles W. Woodford |
| Succeeded by | Donald R. Smith |
| Member of the Illinois Senate | |
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In office 1963–1971 |
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| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
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In office 1951–1963 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alan John Dixon July 7, 1927 Belleville, Illinois |
| Died | July 6, 2014 (aged 86) Fairview Heights, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
University of Illinois (B.A.) Washington University (J.D.) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
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| Battles/wars | World War II |
Alan John Dixon (July 7, 1927 – July 6, 2014) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served in the Illinois General Assembly from 1951 to 1971, as the Illinois Treasurer from 1971 to 1977, as the Illinois Secretary of State from 1977 to 1981 and as a U.S. Senator from 1981 until 1993.
Born in Belleville, Illinois 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.
Dixon served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives 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 the fall of 1970, Karl Rove, a future White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the George W. Bush Administration, used a false identity to enter the office of Dixon's campaign for Illinois 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."
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