Arthur J. Dixon
Encyclopedia
Arthur Johnson Dixon, CM
(December 1, 1919 – February 5, 2007) was a real estate and insurance agent, and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1952 to 1975 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government and opposition. During his time in office Dixon served as the Speaker of the Alberta Legislature from 1963 to 1972.
. He stood as a federal Social Credit
candidate in the electoral district of Calgary West
. Dixon was defeated finishing in third place in the three way race to incumbent Arthur LeRoy Smith
.
Three years later he tried again to win a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
by contesting the by-election held on December 10, 1951. He again finished in third place losing to Progressive Conservative candidate Carl Nickle
.
A year later Dixon attempt to win a seat to the Alberta Legislature. He stood as a candidate in the 1952 Alberta general election
and won the third place seat as a provincial Social Credit
candidate in the electoral district of Calgary
.
Dixon ran for a second term in office in the 1955 provincial election
. He held his seat winning the sixth and final seat in the district.
The Calgary electoral district was abolished in the 1959 boundary redistribution. Dixon ran for his third term in office in the new single member electoral district of Calgary South East for the 1959 Alberta general election
. He defeated three other candidates including two Calgary Alderman Ernest Starr
and Peter Petrasuk
to pickup the district for his party.
Dixon became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, after the death of Peter Dawson. He ran for re-election in the 1963 Alberta general election
. Calgary South East was abolished, causing Dixon to run for re-election in the new district of Calgary South. He defeated two other candidates to easily hold his seat.
After the election Dixon continued with the confidence of the Assembly to remain as Speaker. He ran for a fifth term in the 1967 Alberta general election
. In that race he defeated three other candidates including future Prime Minister of Canada
, Joe Clark
with under half the popular vote to hold his seat.
Calgary South was abolished in the 1971 boundary re-distribution. Dixon ran for re-election in the new electoral district of Calgary-Millican for the 1971 Alberta general election
. He managed to easily hold his seat, defeating three other candidates including star candidate Norman Kwong
.
As a result of the 1971 election the Social Credit government was swept out of power. Dixon was not returned as speaker of the Assembly when the legislature re-opened in 1972. Dixon remained a private member in opposition. He ran for re-election in the 1975 Alberta general election
but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Thomas Donnelly
finishing a distant second place in the six way race.
Dixon attempted to win his seat back in the 1979 Alberta general election
. He once again finished a distant second place, this time to David Carter
.
Dixon was made a Member of the Order of Canada
on June 25, 1979.
Dixon returned to the Alberta Legislature in 2006 with Nick Dushenski
and Raymond Reierson
as the most senior members at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Alberta Legislature. He died a year later on February 5, 2007.
Dixon was a Christian Scientist, and a long-time member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Calgary.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(December 1, 1919 – February 5, 2007) was a real estate and insurance agent, and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1952 to 1975 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government and opposition. During his time in office Dixon served as the Speaker of the Alberta Legislature from 1963 to 1972.
Political career
Dixon ran for public office for the first time in the 1949 Canadian Federal ElectionCanadian federal election, 1949
The Canadian federal election of 1949 was held on June 27 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 21st Parliament of Canada. It was the first election in Canada in almost thirty years in which the Liberal Party of Canada was not led by William Lyon Mackenzie King. King had...
. He stood as a federal Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
candidate in the electoral district of Calgary West
Calgary West
Calgary West is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1953, and since 1979. It is located in the western part of the City of Calgary....
. Dixon was defeated finishing in third place in the three way race to incumbent Arthur LeRoy Smith
Arthur LeRoy Smith
Arthur LeRoy Smith Sr. was a barrister, inventor and a Canadian federal politician. He was born in Regina, Northwest Territories....
.
Three years later he tried again to win a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
by contesting the by-election held on December 10, 1951. He again finished in third place losing to Progressive Conservative candidate Carl Nickle
Carl Nickle
Lieutenant Carl Olof Nickle was an editor and publisher, oil baron, soldier in the Canadian Army and served as a Canadian federal politician from 1951 to 1957....
.
A year later Dixon attempt to win a seat to the Alberta Legislature. He stood as a candidate in the 1952 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1952
The Alberta general election of 1952 was the twelfth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 5, 1952 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
and won the third place seat as a provincial Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Alberta
The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values....
candidate in the electoral district of Calgary
Calgary (provincial electoral district)
Calgary was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada that existed from 1905 to 1913 and was recreated from 1921 to 1959. The district returned from one to six members to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...
.
Dixon ran for a second term in office in the 1955 provincial election
Alberta general election, 1955
The Alberta general election of 1955 was the thirteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 29, 1955 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He held his seat winning the sixth and final seat in the district.
The Calgary electoral district was abolished in the 1959 boundary redistribution. Dixon ran for his third term in office in the new single member electoral district of Calgary South East for the 1959 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1959
The Alberta general election of 1959 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 18, 1959 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.Ernest C...
. He defeated three other candidates including two Calgary Alderman Ernest Starr
Ernest Starr
Ernest Henry Starr was a municipal level politician from Alberta, Canada.-Early life:Starr was born in Caerphilly, Wales. He served with the Imperial Army, Medical Corps during World War I in Egypt, Salonika and the Dardanelles...
and Peter Petrasuk
Peter Petrasuk
Peter Petrasuk is a Canadian businessman, lawyer, and former politician.Born in Ukraine in 1926, Petrasuk came to Canada when his family immigrated in 1931...
to pickup the district for his party.
Dixon became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, after the death of Peter Dawson. He ran for re-election in the 1963 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1963
The Alberta general election of 1963 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on June 17, 1963 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.The Social Credit Party, led by Ernest C...
. Calgary South East was abolished, causing Dixon to run for re-election in the new district of Calgary South. He defeated two other candidates to easily hold his seat.
After the election Dixon continued with the confidence of the Assembly to remain as Speaker. He ran for a fifth term in the 1967 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1967
The Alberta general election of 1967 was the sixteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on May 23, 1967 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. In that race he defeated three other candidates including future Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, Joe Clark
Joe Clark
Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and university professor, and former journalist and politician...
with under half the popular vote to hold his seat.
Calgary South was abolished in the 1971 boundary re-distribution. Dixon ran for re-election in the new electoral district of Calgary-Millican for the 1971 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1971
The Alberta general election of 1971 was the seventeenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on August 30, 1971 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He managed to easily hold his seat, defeating three other candidates including star candidate Norman Kwong
Norman Kwong
Norman Lim "Normie" Kwong, CM, AOE is a former professional athlete, sports executive, and was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta...
.
As a result of the 1971 election the Social Credit government was swept out of power. Dixon was not returned as speaker of the Assembly when the legislature re-opened in 1972. Dixon remained a private member in opposition. He ran for re-election in the 1975 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1975
The Alberta general election of 1975 was the eighteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 25, 1975 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Thomas Donnelly
Thomas Charles Donnelly
Thomas Charles Donnelly is a former provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1975 to 1979 sitting with the governing Progressive Conservative caucus....
finishing a distant second place in the six way race.
Dixon attempted to win his seat back in the 1979 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1979
The Alberta general election of 1979 was the nineteenth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on March 14, 1979 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
. He once again finished a distant second place, this time to David Carter
David J. Carter
David John Carter is a politician, clergyman, photographer and author from Alberta, Canada.Carter served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1979 to 1993...
.
Late life
Dixon founded Dixon Real Estate Services Inc. while still working as an MLA in 1956. He managed the company until 1990 when his son Tom Dixon took over the business.Dixon was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
on June 25, 1979.
Dixon returned to the Alberta Legislature in 2006 with Nick Dushenski
Nick Dushenski
Nick William Dushenski was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1959 sitting with the Co-operative Commonwealth caucus in opposition....
and Raymond Reierson
Raymond Reierson
Raymond Reierson is a former provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government...
as the most senior members at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Alberta Legislature. He died a year later on February 5, 2007.
Dixon was a Christian Scientist, and a long-time member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Calgary.