{"id":313,"date":"2015-09-21T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/?p=313"},"modified":"2018-01-04T14:50:47","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T19:50:47","slug":"the-statler-hilton-dallas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/09\/21\/the-statler-hilton-dallas\/","title":{"rendered":"The Statler-Hilton Dallas"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"Helicopter<\/a>

[Helix Air Transports : Helicopter on top of Building (http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metapth66941), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Municipal Archives, Dallas, Texas.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

In 1956, Dallas gained what was hailed as the finest hotel of modern times: the Statler-Hilton, located downtown at 1914 Commerce Street. The building boasted amenities unheard of at the time, including elevator music, custom 21\u201d Westinghouse television sets, as well as conference rooms and ballrooms on the lower levels. The hotel had one-thousand rooms and twenty stories.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"[News<\/a>

WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.). [News Script: Statler], January 16, 1956; (http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metadc498599\/), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections, Denton, Texas.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

The hotel was inspired by Conrad Hilton and constructed by William Tabler, and it was the nation\u2019s first glass-and-metal building. The grand structure brought celebrities from around the world to Dallas, soon making it\u00a0the south\u2019s “convention city.” This news story from the KXAS-NBC-5 News Collection<\/a> gives an overview of the opening of the Statler-Hilton.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Dallas was able to grow on many levels due to the establishment of this new downtown landmark. Comedian George Gobel headlined an opening event for the hotel, which raised a large sum of money for the Southwestern Medical Foundation. The hotel became home to the city\u2019s first heliport soon after its opening debut, making Dallas the fifth city in the country to offer taxi service via helicopter. You can read more about the heliport in <\/span>this news story from the KXAS-NBC 5 Collection<\/span><\/a>. In the years following the hotel\u2019s opening, celebrities, politicians, and military men came to stay, entertain, and raise funds for charity in Dallas.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Statler-Hilton was later renamed the Dallas Grand Hotel, and it has been vacant since 2001. Today, it is under renovation. Next year, it is expected to reopen with a total of 219 luxury residences and 161 hotel rooms. The Old Dallas Central Library is also part of the renovation project, which will be named the Statler Hotel and Residences. A \u201cblack box\u201d music venue is planned for the hotel\u2019s lower level. Additional amenities included in the renovation are four restaurants, a lounge, boutique shopping, and plenty of office and meeting space.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The fate of the Statler-Hilton hotel in Dallas hung in the air for over a decade before the renovation project began. With promises to restore the hotel and surrounding areas of downtown Dallas to its earlier era of luxury and wealth, the Statler Hotel and Residences may be one of the most important projects in Dallas in recent years. More information about the hotel, and the many events hosted there, can be found in the <\/span>KXAS-NBC 5 News Collection<\/span><\/a>, which offers news scripts, clips, and log books from 1956 onward.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

-by Alexandra Traxinger Sch\u00fctz<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"    In 1956, Dallas gained what was hailed as the finest hotel of modern times: the Statler-Hilton, located downtown at 1914 Commerce Street. The building boasted amenities unheard of at the time, including elevator music, custom 21\u201d Westinghouse television sets, as well as conference rooms and ballrooms on the lower levels. The hotel had… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[86,88,85,81,84,83,82,80,87],"class_list":["post-313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-conrad-hilton","tag-dallas-grand-hotel","tag-george-gobel","tag-hotels","tag-landmarks","tag-old-dallas-library","tag-statler-hotel-and-residences","tag-statler-hilton","tag-william-tabler"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60UnY-53","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":506,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/12\/16\/the-end-of-st-paul-medical-center\/","url_meta":{"origin":313,"position":0},"title":"The End of St. Paul Medical Center","author":"Alexandra","date":"December 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Hospitals are often over-looked landmarks in a city\u2019s history. For many people, though, hospitals are the backdrop of treasured first moments with children or last moments with parents. It can be a little sad to see a hospital close or, in the case of St. Paul Hospital in Dallas, demolished.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"demolitions\"","block_context":{"text":"demolitions","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/demolitions\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"[Map of St. Paul's Hospital], Postcard, n.d.; (http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metapth121635\/ : accessed December 01, 2015), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http:\/\/texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Heritage Village, Dallas, Texas.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/metapth121635_l_1983.42.914_01-740x476.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/metapth121635_l_1983.42.914_01-740x476.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/metapth121635_l_1983.42.914_01-740x476.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/metapth121635_l_1983.42.914_01-740x476.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":523,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2016\/01\/27\/storybook-land\/","url_meta":{"origin":313,"position":1},"title":"Storybook Land","author":"Alexandra","date":"January 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1956, Mother Goose and her brood settled down in the metroplex. Storybook Land opened in April of that year to the delight of area children, who flocked with their families to the theme park located just east of Carter Field on Highway 183. Any theme park with a storytale\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Storybook Land Map, taken from http:\/\/bacougars66.com\/","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":256,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/08\/17\/north-texas-educator-becomes-tiaa-leader\/","url_meta":{"origin":313,"position":2},"title":"North Texas Educator Becomes TIAA Leader","author":"Alexandra","date":"August 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1964, the Texas Industrial Arts Association appointed a new executive secretary to its ranks: Dr. M. D. Williamson, Associate Professor of Industrial Arts at North Texas State University. He was chosen at the annual TIAA conference at Texas A & M University in College Station. Williamson is pictured above,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Education\"","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"1963-64 TIAA Executive Committee: Frank Miller, M. D. Williamson, F. L. Bay, Benton Broschette, and John Ballard","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":352,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/10\/05\/meacham-field-love-field-and-the-dfw-regional-airport\/","url_meta":{"origin":313,"position":3},"title":"Meacham Field, Love Field, and the DFW Regional Airport","author":"Alexandra","date":"October 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Dallas and Fort Worth share such a strong rivalry, it\u2019s somewhat of a surprise they\u2019ve been able to work together on some of the most exciting infrastructure projects in North Texas. Take the DFW Regional Airport, for example. Both cities operated their own airports quite successfully for a time--Meacham Field\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"air travel\"","block_context":{"text":"air travel","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/air-travel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aerial view of the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-017-002_01-740x604.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-017-002_01-740x604.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-017-002_01-740x604.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-017-002_01-740x604.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":182,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/07\/03\/with-all-deliberate-speed-or-not-the-brenda-fields-dallas-schools-desegregation-collection\/","url_meta":{"origin":313,"position":4},"title":"“With All Deliberate Speed” (Or Not): The Brenda Fields Dallas Schools Desegregation Collection","author":"Alexandra","date":"July 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"School hasn\u2019t been out for long, but many North Texas parents already can\u2019t wait for summer vacation to be over. While the youth of today may be more likely to play video games than engage in outdoor shenanigans, they are also more likely to take part in interracial friendships than\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Dallas\"","block_context":{"text":"Dallas","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/dallas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dallas Independent School District, February 15 1994. Report to the Court of the Dallas Independent School District. Brenda Fields Dallas Schools Desegregation Collection, University of North Texas Special Collections.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/07\/img0022-400x309.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/07\/img0022-400x309.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/07\/img0022-400x309.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":104,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/04\/29\/the-texas-turnpike-authority-and-the-trinity-route\/","url_meta":{"origin":313,"position":5},"title":"The Texas Turnpike Authority and the Trinity Route","author":"UNT Special Collections","date":"April 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"It may be difficult to believe that, until 1966, a non-stop route between eastern Dallas and western Fort Worth didn\u2019t exist. Today, the highways connecting the two cities, as well as all the cities in between them, make Dallas-Fort Worth inseparable. The two stretches of road that contributed most to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"trinityroute01","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/trinityroute01-740x587.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/trinityroute01-740x587.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/trinityroute01-740x587.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=313"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":558,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/313\/revisions\/558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}