Dr. Dixon attended Murray State College for two years and then transferred to the University of Kentucky and graduated with a B. S. in Agriculture in 1952.

After graduation Joe was drafted into the Army for Korean War duty. He advanced from Private to Sergeant during his term.

Upon release, he returned to University of Kentucky, completing his Masters in 1956 and then completed his PhD and post-Doctoral work in 1959 at the University of Wisconsin.

Joe served as Assistant Professor at Auburn University for nine years, teaching and performing soils research. In 1968, Joe was recruited by Texas A&M University, College of Agriculture, to teach graduate students and perform research on clay soils. 

During a sabbatical at Arizona State University, Joe learned to apply electron microscopy in his work. This fueled a highly productive next stage of his career.

He retired from Texas A&M as Professor Emeritus in 2001, but continued to work with graduate students, developing a program to reduce the impact of aflatoxins on animal feed by application of smectite clays.

He is survived by his wife Martha Jane Dixon; two sons; a Sister and  by six 6 grandchildren. 

A Memorial Service was held on September 17, 2022. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840. Please designate the Joe Boris and Martha Jane Dixon Graduate Endowment in Soil Mineralogy in the memo line of the check.