Former Dixonite Nick Lazaris, now of Philadelphia, donated copies of “Distinctive Dixon: Fascinating Stories of Dixon’s Rich History” to all 196 graduates of Ronald Reagan Middle School during graduation ceremonies on Friday, May 22.

Lazaris, who was unable to attend, explained his motivation in an email: “I hope this wonderful book will inspire them to learn more about ‘distinctive Dixon’ and to be proud of their roots and the Dixonites who preceded them.”

During the ceremonies at the high school’s Lancaster Gymnasium, Reagan principal Matt Magnafici invited author Tom Wadsworth to present the books to graduates as they received their certificates. Wadsworth then spoke about Lazaris’s background and ties to the city.

Wadsworth said that Lazaris’s uncle first came to Dixon in 1922 as a shoe shiner. His family later operated DeLuxe Cleaners on West First Street.

Lazaris attended Madison School and graduated from Dixon High School in 1968 before earning degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He later served as chief of staff for Gov. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and became CEO for three companies. One was Keurig, the coffee brewing company, which he led for 11 years. He later served as a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School.

Earlier this year, Lazaris moved to Philadelphia and is now mostly retired. After reading Wadsworth’s book in April, Lazaris wanted to get the book into the hands of Dixon students.

“I have always felt a special attachment to Dixon as well as a sense of pride relating to all that happened there, including people like Charles and Myrtle Walgreen, Louella Parsons and Ronald Reagan,” he said.

Distinctive Dixon brings together more than 50 local history articles that were previously published in the Dixon Telegraph. The book was first published in December 2025 and is now in its third printing.