About Alan J. Dixon
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 member of the United States Senate from 1981 to 1993. == Early life == 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 School of Law in 1949. While attending the University of Illinois, he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. During World War II, Dixon served in the United States Navy. == State political career == === General Assembly === Dixon served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1951 to 1963 and as a member of the Illinois Senate from 1963 to 1971, serving as Minority Whip for part of that time. === Karl Rove and the Dixon campaign incident === 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 1,000 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 did 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." === 1976 elections === In 1976, Dixon was elected Illinois Secretary of State.
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