Second Court of Appeals

Justice Place 5

Dixon W. Holman (1981 to 1982; 1995 to 2008)

Dixon Wade Holman was born October 17, 1933, in Harlingen, Texas.  He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas.

After graduating from law school in 1958, Holman joined the firm of Simon and Ratliff.  He became the general counsel for Great Southern Insurance and Allied Finance Co. in 1960.  Holman was appointed to the Second Court of Appeals in 1981 by Governor William Clements; however, he did not win reelection the following year.  He was nominated to serve as a federal district judge but had to withdraw after a heart attack.  In 1991, he was named chief of the Tarrant County District Attorney’s civil division.  He was reappointed to the Second Court of Appeals in 1995 to fill a vacancy.  This time, he won reelection twice, once in 1996 and again in 2002.  He retired from the court in 2008.

In addition to his judicial service, Holman served in the Texas House of Representatives and on the Arlington City Council.  He also refereed football games.  Starting out at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels, he eventually worked his way up to officiating for colleges and later became of the of original instant replay officials for the National Football League.  He died on September 26, 2015, and was buried in the Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas.