Thomas Edison Dixon, M.D.

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Dr. Thomas Edison Dixon. Now settle in, because this is a story worth hearing all the way through.

August 1890, Hearne, Texas. A boy is born, and somebody gives him a name that carries a lot of weight: Thomas Edison Dixon. His friends and family would call him Tommy.

The world, in time, would call him Doctor. Tommy first went to Bishop College in Marshall, then in 1912 he enrolled at Meharry Medical College up in Nashville. He graduated in 1916, earned his medical license in the State of Texas, and got to work.

He set up his practice in Mart, Texas, and for years he tended to his patients in that community. Then, around 1927, Dr. Dixon made a move.

He relocated his practice to downtown Temple, at a time when health care services for African-Americans there were minimal. Minimal. You sit with that word for a moment.

And into that gap walked Tommy Dixon, bringing with him a particular focus on pediatrics and obstetrics. Children coming into the world, children growing up. That was where he gave his special attention.

But the man did not stop at medicine. He was chairman of the board of trustees and deacon of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

He was a regular contributor to many of Temple's black churches. He was involved with the Boy Scouts, the Negro Civic League, and the Progressive Voters League. This was a man building something, not just treating ailments.

And then there are the specific things the marker wants you to know. In 1954, Dr. Dixon joined other physicians in making a sizable contribution to the NAACP's Fighting Fund for Freedom, a fund aimed at eliminating racial discrimination in the United States.

He also sold building sites to the city at reasonable costs so that schools could be constructed. He was not waiting on someone else to fix things. Now here is the line that stops you cold.

At the time of his death, Thomas Edison Dixon was the only African-American physician practicing in Bell County. The only one. He had dedicated his life to the people of Temple for almost thirty years, and he carried that weight alone at the end.

He died in 1958. Born 1890, gone 1958. The marker says he is remembered for being driven by love and a profound sense of duty.

And after everything you just heard, Tommy, I think that's about right.

What the marker says

(1890-1958) Thomas Edison Dixon, M.D., was an African-American physician committed to serving God and his community in a time dominated by white men. Dixon, or "Tommy" to friends and family, was born in August 1890 in Hearne, Texas. He first attended Bishop College in Marshall and then Meharry Medical College in Nashville in 1912. After graduating in 1916, he was granted a medical license in the State of Texas and began practicing medicine in Mart, Texas. Around 1927, Dixon relocated his practice to downtown Temple during a time when there were minimal health care services for African-Americans. It was here that he gave special attention to pediatrics and obstetrics. In addition to his professional work, Dixon played a prominent role in the community's churches and organizations. He was chairman of the board of trustees and deacon of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, a regular contributor to many of Temple's black churches, and was also involved with the Boy Scouts, the Negro Civic League and the Progressive Voters League. Specific instances of his influence on the community include his sizable contribution with other physicians to the NAACP's "Fighting Fund for Freedom" in 1954, which aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in the U.S., and his sale of building sites to the city at reasonable costs for the purpose of constructing schools. At the time of his death, Dixon was the only African-American physician practicing in Bell County. Dr. Dixon dedicated his life to the people of Temple for almost 30 years and is remembered for being driven by love and a profound sense of duty. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011