John E. Dixon papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains materials kept by John E. Dixon while he was a professor at the University of Idaho. The materials include research publications, departmental records, correspondence, and more.
Correspondence between Dixon and Merle L Esmay, Director of the International Department and Chairman of A-411, on arrangements and specifics for the delegation trip and seminar and research focus. Notes for seminar and presentation. Diary/Dictation from August 16th to September 12th on the entirety of the trip, 42 pages in total. 45 pages of slides documenting the trip and organized by chapters made by John Dixon.
There are photos of rural areas, farm equipment, traveling, Peking (now Beijing), Harbin, Jiamusi, Yangtze River, Zhenjiang, and Hangchow. There are also photos of John’s visits to landmark locations such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden Palace, and Tiananmen Square. He also visited the Red Star Commune, the Sinchiao People’s Commune, Peking CAAMS, and the Guangdong Research Institute.
Separately, in this collection are 8 photos taken by John E. Dixon in 1983 of the Agricultural Engineering lab and workshop at the University of Idaho, but they have no correlation to the ASAE delegation to China.
Dates
- Creation: 1955-1979
Creator
- Dixon, John E., 1927-2010 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Biographical / Historical
John Elvin Dixon was born on March 23, 1927 in Roseburg, Oregon to Ned and Marjorie Dixon. Dixon graduated from Roseburg High School and joined the United States Navy in 1945. He served on the USS Alabama, and a year later was discharged. Dixon then enrolled at Oregon State Unviersity and in 1951 compelted his degree in agricultural engineering.
Dixon's agricutlrual engineering career first began at Colorado A & M (CSU) as a research assistant. Then in the mid-1950s he moved to Moscow, Idaho and began working in the agricultural engineering department at the University of Idaho. At U of I, Dixon was able to obtain his master's degree. During his teaching career he published more than one hundred papers. Dixon retired in 1990 and passed away in 2010.
The ASAE, American Society of Agricultural Engineers, and the A-411 Committee led a 16-person delegation to the people’s Republic of China in 1979 for research by invitation of the Chinese Agricultural Machinery Society. John E. Dixon, a professor at the University of Idaho in agricultural engineering, participated and documented his journey.
Extent
2 linear feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Agricultural engineering records, departmental papers, and research materials kept by John E. Dixon.
Personal correspondence, diary, and slide photos from John E. Dixon’s delegation trip to China with ASAE, including primarily travel photos, from August 19th to an undated time after September 7th. Separately, in this collection are 8 photos taken by John E. Dixon in 1983 of the Agricultural Engineering lab and workshop at the University of Idaho, but they have no correlation to the ASAE delegation to China.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged in alphabetical order.
Slides were organized by chapters made by John Dixon and kept in original order as received unless it interfered with timeline order of dates.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials within this collection were donated by Dr. James DeShazer in January of 2000.
Bibliography
- Title
- Guide to John E. Dixon papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Sara Szobody; Kacie Kay
- Date
- 2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives Repository