I've been arguing with a Republican about the Southern Strategy and they've said that they refuse to believe "the parties switched" unless I can provide the names of 10 Dixiecrats who became Republicans. I've looked online but the only names I've found are Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms. Who were some other Dixiecrat politicians that ended up becoming Republicans?
You won't find it, because it didn't happen that way.
The switch was more organic and drawn out, like what's been happening with the tea party. You lose senators during primaries, you have slow shifts on priorities and campaign platforms, and the old guard is driven out as new blood comes in.
Your best bet is to find sources on the campaign platform of each party, and to look how they've changed since the 60s. For instance, LBJ got the civil rights bill signed, and Nixon went hard in 72 on anti-bussing and states rights. He carried all the southern states when he was elected, with around 70% of the popular vote in the south.
So, it's all shifting, with no single entity controlling how the party is going to head. Remember, the DNC & RNC are both democratic institutions too.
Hundreds of elected Democrats switched to the Republican Party between the 60s and 80s. John Connolly, Trent Lott, Phil Gramm, and Rick Perry are a few prominent examples. The vast majority of Southern Republicans officeholders born before 1950, and no few younger ones, at least started as Democrats but may have switched before first running.