Dixon was born in Washington D.C. and served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1960 . He graduated from California State University , Los Angeles in 1962 . He was elected to the California State Assembly as a Democrat in 1972 , and served in that body for three terms . Dixon was elected to the House of Representatives in 1978 . He chaired the rules committee at the 1984 Democratic National Convention and the ethics probe into Speaker Jim Wright . Dixon won re-election to the 107th United States Congress , but died of a heart attack in December 2000
1984 Democratic National Convention
1984 Democratic National Convention
Julian Dixon