DIXON

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 08:52:07 :

Independent Journal
Monday, October 31, 1977
Page 1

GORDON DIXON longtime I-J employee, died

Gordon W. Dixon, who for almost 50 years headed the printing operations at the Independent-Journal, collapsed and died unexpectedly Saturday night at a friend’s home in San Rafael. He was 73.

Dixon, responsible for making the I-J a model of modern computerized production techniques, was widely known in the newspaper field for his skill in applying new technology.

His acquaintance with people in the field was not limited to the United States and Canada; he also has friends in New Zealand and Australia whom he had met through his long career.

He was a longtime member and past president of the Marin Rod and Gun Club and was a leader among sportsmen who lobbied for conservation of fish and game.

In his trade, he had served as president of Pacific Coast Mechanical Conference and was treasurer of the organization, which has changed its name to the Western Production Conference, at the time of his death. It is an organization of Newspaper Production executives.

Dixon was born in Calgary, Canada, and reared in British Columbia. He learned his trade at a commercial printing plant in Vancouver and then came to California in 1923. He worked for newspapers in Lakeport and Healdsburg before coming to the I-J as shop foreman in 1928.

Later, as the newspaper’s operations grew in size and sophistication, his title was changed to mechanical superintendent.

Under his direction, the I-J was the second newspaper in the West to introduce cold-type composition for advertising. It has one of the very early computer-and-tape line-casting operations. The newspaper became a completely cold-type production in 1970 with the first 72-point Linatron 505 in the United States.

It was the first U.S. newspaper to put a Photon 7000 cathode ray tube into operation, and also the first in the country to publish completely from thin zinc plates mounted on the press.

For many years, Dixon contributed his expertise to management conferences held by the American Newspaper Publishers Association.

He also was a member of the San Francisco Club of Printing House Craftsmen, a longtime member of Marin Lodge No. 191 of the Free and Accepted Masons and belonged to the First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael.

His wife, Marie, preceded his in death in 1973.

Surviving are Dixon’s son, Robert Gordon Dixon, I-J composing room foreman, and his brother, Earl W. Dixon, I-J purchasing agent. Both live in San Rafael.

The funeral will be at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Williams and Heffernan Mortuary in San Rafael. Entombment at Mount Tamalpais Cemetery will be private.