Dixie Carter
A Southern belle with a steel-trap mind and a velvet voice, who turned a sitcom matriarch into a symbol of fiery, feminist wit.
1939–2010 (age 71)·American actress·Birthday: May 25·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dixie Carter carried the grace and cadence of her Tennessee upbringing into every role, but it was as Julia Sugarbaker on 'Designing Women' that she created an icon. For seven seasons, she delivered blistering, perfectly timed monologues—'The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia' rant remains legendary—that transformed the interior designer from Atlanta into a champion for women's dignity, Southern pride, and liberal causes. Carter arrived at the role after years of stage work, soap operas, and a short-lived sitcom, bringing a mature, sophisticated energy that grounded the show's ensemble. Her career extended beyond Sugarbaker, with notable turns on 'Family Law' and a scene-stealing, Emmy-nominated performance as a manicurist with a secret on 'Desperate Housewives.' Off-screen, she was a devoted wife to actor Hal Holbrook and a vocal conservative, a contrast that only added to the fascinating complexity of a performer who defined a certain kind of intelligent, formidable woman on television.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dixie was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dixie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Dixie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2010Died at 71
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Starred as Julia Sugarbaker for the entire seven-season run of the hit CBS sitcom 'Designing Women.'
- Received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress for her role on 'Desperate Housewives.'
- Portrayed supporting roles in multiple Broadway productions, including a replacement for Lauren Bacall in 'Woman of the Year.'
- Had a successful second act on television as attorney Randi King on the drama 'Family Law.'
Did You Know?
She was a classically trained soprano and often sang on 'Designing Women' and in her stage performances.
Carter was a lifelong Republican and actively supported conservative political causes.
She and her husband, Hal Holbrook, frequently performed a two-person stage show together across the country.
Before acting, she worked as a model for the famous John Robert Powers agency in New York.
“I am not a man-hater. I just require that a man be better than a crowbar.”
