Attended Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina.
Became a director in 1970.
Became friends with Sidney Poitier when Dixon was his stunt double in The Defiant Ones (1958).
Began his acting career in Broadway plays.
Father of Doris Nomathande Dixon and Alan Kimara Dixon.
Graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina in 1954.
His daughter Doris made the 2006 documentary, "Retrospective: Lincoln Academy 1948-1950." This is the school where Ivan first took up acting.
Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild of America, and the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
Son, Alan Kimara Dixon, lives in Oakland, North Carolina.
Was portrayed by LeJon in the film Auto Focus (2002) about Hogan's Heroes co-star Bob Crane's life.