born Jan. 18, 1799, Marblehead, Mass., U.S.
died June 15, 1869, Jersey City, N.J.
U.S. inventor and manufacturer.
Largely self-taught, Dixon began his pioneering industrial use of graphite in 1827 with the manufacture of lead pencils, stove polish, and lubricants. He discovered that graphite crucibles withstood high temperatures, and he secured patents on graphite crucibles for making steel and pottery. He established a crucible steelworks in Jersey City in 1850. He also experimented with photography and photolithography and devised a technique for printing banknotes in colour to prevent counterfeiting.