It is named for Jack Mabley, a Chicago columnist, in recognition of his unstinting support for the project.
In 1921, the duties of the institution expanded to include care for the developmentally delayed, and 158 clients were transferred from the Lincoln State School to alleviate overcrowding there.
In 1975, the General Assembly changed its name to the Dixon Developmental Center.
[4] In the 1950s, journalist Jack Mabley ran a series of columns exposing the conditions at Dixon State School.
[5] In 1983, the grounds were repurposed for a state prison, Dixon Correctional Center.