Arrington Dixon | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia | |
| In office 1979–1983 | |
| Preceded by | Sterling Tucker |
| Succeeded by | David A. Clarke |
| Member of the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 4 | |
| In office 1975–1979 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Charlene Drew Jarvis |
| Member of the Council of the District of Columbia from the at-large district | |
| In office August 1997 – December 15, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Linda Cropp |
| Succeeded by | David Catania |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arrington Dixon Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Howard University, George Washington Law School[1] |
| Occupation | Politician |
Arrington Dixon is an American politician who is a former Chair and Member of the Council of the District of Columbia of Washington, D.C.
Early years[edit]
Dixon was born in Anacostia in Washington, D.C., to James and Sally Dixon.[2]
Council of the District of Columbia[edit]
1975–1979[edit]
In November 1974, Dixon was chosen to represent Ward 4 when voters elected the first members of the Council of the District of Columbia, the legislature of the city's new home rule government.[3] The initial term for the Ward 4 seat, like those for half the council seats, was only 2 years, to provide for staggered council elections in later years,[4] but in 1976 Dixon was reelected to a full four-year term.[3]
1979–1983[edit]
In 1978, council chairman Sterling Tucker ran for mayor rather than seeking reelection.[5] Dixon, who was halfway through his Ward 4 term, decided to run for Chair of the Council and won. He served 4 years. In 1982, Dixon ran for re-election, but he was defeated in the Democratic primary by David A. Clarke.[5]
Dixon was later appointed by Mayor Marion Barry to serve as a public member of the National Capital Planning Commission.
1997[edit]
More than a decade later, Dixon returned to the council as an at-large member for a few months in 1997 when he was chosen in August by the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee to replace Linda Cropp, who had vacated her at-large seat to become chairman.[6] The appointment lasted only until a December special election, in which he was defeated by then-Republican David Catania.[7] Catania was sworn in on December 15, 1997.[8]
Personal life[edit]
In 1966, he married Sharon Pratt Kelly, and they had daughters Aimee and Drew. His daughters were born in 1968 and 1970.[9][10] The couple divorced in 1982 after sixteen years of marriage.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ Trescott, Jacqueline. "Arrington Dixon: Seeking Systems To Run the System". The Washington Post. May 18, 1975. p. M1.
- ^ Trescott, Jacqueline. "Arrington Dixon: Seeking Systems To Run the System". The Washington Post. May 18, 1975. p. M1.
- ^ a b District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. "Historical Elected Officials: Ward 4 Member of the Council of the District of Columbia". Archived from the original on 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ^ District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. "Historical Elected Officials: Length of Initial Terms Following First Home Rule Election". Archived from the original on 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
- ^ a b District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. "Historical Elected Officials: Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia". Archived from the original on 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ^ "Arrington Dixon to Fill Vacancy Left by Cropp on D.C. Council". The Washington Post. 1997-08-16. p. D06. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ Williams, Vanessa (1997-12-03). "Republican Wins Seat on D.C. Council; Catania Upsets Dixon Amid Low Turnout". The Washington Post. p. C01. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ Williams, Vanessa (December 16, 1997). "New D.C. Council Member Knows Loss and Victory". The Washington Post. p. C1.
- ^ a b "Sharon Pratt Dixon." Notable Black American Women, Book 1. Gale Research, 1992. Updated: 12/20/1992 Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC, Document Number: K1623000108. Fee, via Fairfax County Public Library 2009-04-10.
- ^ Randolph, Laura B. (Feb 1992). "Her marriage … her mission and … her mid-life transformation - Sharon Pratt Kelley". Ebony magazine. Johnson Publishing Company. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
External links[edit]
- Arrington Dixon Papers finding aid
- Old D.C. Council Campaign Posters - Ghosts of DC blog
