[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 133 (Tuesday, August 6, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1034-E1035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN RECOGNITION OF DIXON'S FAMOUS CHILI

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                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 6, 2019

  Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Dixon's 
Famous Chili

[[Page E1035]]

and their one hundredth year serving the greater Kansas City 
metropolitan area. Since their opening, Dixon's has served as a beloved 
pillar of the Kansas City and Independence communities, and it brings 
me pride to have such an institution serving the Fifth Congressional 
District of Missouri.
  As one of the oldest family owned businesses in the city, Dixon's 
Famous Chili originally began as a street vendor in downtown Kansas 
City, Missouri. Due to the success of the street cart, the Dixon family 
opened their first parlor at 15th and Olive in 1919. In the early days, 
the founder, Vergne Dixon, used his entrepreneurial power to provide 
jobs for the community. He hired only men who were down on their luck 
to work at his parlor, giving many a much-needed opportunity to better 
themselves and support their families. Dixon aspired to give back to 
his city and embodied a spirit of public service that should inspire us 
all.
  In the 1940s, Dixon's Chili Parlor acquired a new and special meaning 
for the community as it became a frequent stop for President Harry 
Truman and became what he called one of his favorite restaurants in 
America. President Truman said he loved to eat there as the food 
reminded him of the days when he had been serving in World War I. When 
President Truman visited Dixon's for his favorite dish of chili on 
tamales, usually accompanied by several Secret Service agents, the 
notoriety of the event landed Dixon's Chili Parlor in LIFE magazine. 
Thus, Dixon's came to be known as Dixon's Famous Chili.
  Dixon's Famous Chili continues today, as the legacy has been kept 
alive by Vergne Dixon's nephew Leonard Totta, his daughter Terri Totta 
Smith, and will continue with his grandson Stephan Steffes. As the 
restaurant's business expanded, it grew to house numerous locations 
across the Kansas City metro area and beyond. However, the main 
restaurant in Independence, which President Truman frequented, remains 
a cherished landmark in the area. Long time guests share stories of 
gravitating back to Dixon's for a warm, familial atmosphere. Today, 
visitors to Missouri are drawn to the authentic ambience at Dixon's, as 
well as the special ``Kansas City style chili'' served the same way it 
was one hundred years ago, as a distinct way to experience our local 
history.
  Madam Speaker, please join me and all of Missouri's Fifth 
Congressional District in honoring this legacy as Vergne Dixon's family 
celebrates one hundred years of remarkable and noteworthy service in 
the Kansas City metropolitan area. I welcome my colleagues to join me 
and the constituents of Missouri's Fifth Congressional District in 
congratulations and recognition of such an inspiration. Together, we 
look to better serve those around us in the same spirit as Mr. Dixon 
originally did and in the same way his family continues to serve us 
today.

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