John Sherwood Dixon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 36th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 | |
| Governor | Adlai Stevenson II |
| Preceded by | Hugh W. Cross |
| Succeeded by | John William Chapman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Sherwood Dixon June 19, 1896 Dixon, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | May 17, 1973 (aged 76) Dixon, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Helen Cahill (m. 1933) |
| Children | 5 sons, 2 daughters |
| Education | University of Notre Dame (BA) (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1951 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Unit | 332nd Infantry Regiment 129th Infantry Regiment 442nd Regimental Combat Team |
| Battles/wars | World War I * Battle of Vittorio-Veneto World War II |
| Awards | Silver Star |
John Sherwood Dixon (better known as Sherwood Dixon) (June 19, 1896 – May 17, 1973) was an American politician from Illinois, a member of the Democratic Party.
Sherwood Dixon was born in Dixon, Illinois, the son of Henry S. and Margaret Casey Dixon. He was the great-grandson of the founder of Dixon, "Father" John Dixon. Dixon was a 1920 graduate of the University of Notre Dame,[1] a veteran of World War I and a brigadier general in the Illinois National Guard. Dixon was a member of the Illinois Democratic State Central Committee (1938), a delegate to the 1952 Democratic National Convention and an alternate delegate to the 1940 and 1956 Democratic national conventions.
He is best known for serving as the 36th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, under Governor Adlai Stevenson II, from January 10, 1949, to January 13, 1953.
Lieutenant Governor Dixon and Governor Stevenson each initially sought re-election to their respective offices in in 1952, both winning renomination in their Democratic primary. However, was subsequently drafted at the Democratic National Convention Stevenson into running as the Democratic presidential nominee that year (ultimately losing the presidency to Republican nominee Dwight D. Eisenhower). Dixon replaced Stevenson as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, but lost the election to Republican nominee William G. Stratton.
Dixon died in his hometown of the same name in 1973 and is interred in Oakwood Cemetery there.