Thomas Edison Dixon, M.D.
Temple, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(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
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Hearne in 1890, Dr. Thomas Edison Dixon trained at Meharry Medical College and by 1927 had brought his practice to downtown Temple, where health care for African Americans was scarce. Devoted to pediatrics and obstetrics, "Tommy" Dixon also anchored the community's Black churches and civic groups, sold land cheaply to the city for schools, and contributed to the NAACP's 1954 "Fighting Fund for Freedom" against racial discrimination. At his death he was the only African American physician practicing in Bell County.
Why it matters
Dixon's decades of service illustrate how Black professionals sustained their communities under segregation while quietly advancing the fight for civil rights.
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Related people
- · Thomas Edison Dixon
Related events
- · NAACP Fighting Fund for Freedom
Themes & tags
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