Thomas Wasn't The Only Famous Dixon
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Mention the name Thomas W Dixon
Jr., and people readily identify him as
the author of the photoplay "The Birth
of a Nation." the first great movie of the
silent era.
But. can you identify Am/ie Clar¬
ence Dixon. Frank Dixon. Delia Dixon
and May Dixon?
Well, they are brothers and sisters, all
nationally and internationally known
children of Thomas W. Dixon Sr. and
Amanda McAfee Dixon of Cleveland
County.
The brothers became distinguished
ministers and prolific lecturers at home
and abroad, and the daughters achieved
fame as a physician and an author.
Their talents were inherited. Deter¬
mination. spiritual inspiration, forceful
and convincing platform and pulpit
speaking power came from their father,
a minister-farmer of strong convictions
and learning. Their literary bent came
from their mother, a romanticist and
reader of almost everything that came
her way.
To Arkansas And Back
To escape the Civil War. Dr. Dixon,
hardy and yet tender, moved his family
and 100 slaves, the dower of his wife,
to Arkansas and back, skirting the con¬
flict both ways. He refused to sell the
slaves, and the slaves refused to leave
him. He. too. was an advocate of higher
education, vowing to send his children
to college in a period and region when
and where that was not popular. How
many times he borrowed money to help
the children in their ambitions is not
known, but his income was so unstable
that, for instance, in one year he served
four churches and didn’t earn $100.
However, he would not help Delia in
the study of medicine, not wanting to
see his family "disgraced by a female
doctor." but he did relent when she be¬
came outstanding. From then on he
delighted in praising her skill, civic and
social endeavors, and would have no
other physician attend him.
What about these celebrated chil¬
dren?
First born in 1X54 was Am/ie Clar¬
ence. a name the mother got from a
novel. Graduating from Wake Forest at
age 20 with honors, he served churches
in Chapel Hill. Asheville. Baltimore.
Br«x>klyn. Boston and Chicago before
going abroad. In England and Scotland
his sermons and lectures drew so much
response that he was called to the great
Spurgeon Tabernacle in London, serv¬
ing it from ll>|| to 1919.
Wake Forest trustees had tried to per¬
suade Clarence, when he was only 2X
years old but already dynamic and des¬
tined lor success, to succeed Dr. T.H.
Pritchard as ns president. But Clarence
declined, feeling he had been called to
the ministry.
•Brotherly" Difference
Clarence was pastor in Brooklyn
while Thomas Jr., ten years younger,
was at 23rd St. Baptist Church in New
York, and they differed publicly in print
m points of doctrine. Clarence was
alarmed at Toms facing the day's issues
daringly, and Tom denounced several of
his brother’s theological principals. He
Tar Heel novelist Thomas W Dixon. Jr., left, posed in 1902 tor this photograph with his brother. A C. cen-
ter. and Frank, at nght; his sisters, seated, were Addie (Mrs. Ernest Thacker), lelt. and Delia (Dr Delia Dixon
Carroll).
THE State. April t987
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