Interview with Sonny Dixon, February 19, 2019

Collection: Two-Party Georgia Oral History Project

Dublin Core

Description

J.A. (Sonny) Dixon was born in Savannah on August 5, 1952. He grew up in Savannah and attended the University of Florida. He served two terms as mayor of the Garden City, Georgia and five terms in the Georgia House of Representatives. Dixon retired from the Georgia House in 1997. A television journalist, Dixon worked as a reporter and later lead anchor for WTOC-TV in Savannah. Dixon is the recipient of the Emmy Award for best news anchor among other awards. He retired from WTOC-TV in 2015 and works as a voice over artist. He resides in Savannah.

Dixon discusses his family and early life. He talks about his first experiences in politics and election to municipal offices, including the Mayor of Garden City, Georgia. Dixon turns to his time serving in the Georgia House of Representatives, including committee work and legislation. He reflects on the Georgia Republican Party’s growing strength during the 1990s and its impact on the General Assembly and politics. Dixon offers his take on why the Georgia Republican Party grew and supplanted the Democrats, and he suggests some differences in politics then and now. He turns to his transition from politics into television local news, and he recalls his career as a reporter and anchor. The interview closes with Dixon’s take on the role of the media in politics and his thoughts on the future of Georgia politics.

Date

2019-02-19

Identifier

RBRL425TPGA-077

Coverage

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Files

Citation

J.A. "Sonny" Dixon and Katie Schank, “Interview with Sonny Dixon, February 19, 2019,” UGA Special Collections Libraries Oral Histories, accessed March 29, 2024, https://russelllibraryoralhistory.org/RBRL425TPGA/RBRL425TPGA-077.