{"id":40,"date":"2014-11-06T17:20:04","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T22:20:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/?p=40"},"modified":"2018-01-09T11:44:30","modified_gmt":"2018-01-09T16:44:30","slug":"early-convention-days-of-dallas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2014\/11\/06\/early-convention-days-of-dallas\/","title":{"rendered":"Early Convention Days of Dallas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"convention_0\"<\/a>As the number of visitor friendly attractions, venues, and businesses continue to rise in the DFW area, so too does the stature of the city of Dallas as a major player in the convention business game. Now competing with the likes of major convention cities such as Las Vegas, Orlando, and Chicago, Dallas has begun cracking many top ten lists of convention destinations. The number of citywide conventions-those in which 2,500 rooms are booked on the peak night-that Dallas hosts each year has jumped from 8 to 31 over the past 11 years resulting in big business for the metroplex. The Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated convention business accounted for $1.6 in economic impact for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.<\/p>\r\n

An early proponent of Dallas as a convention destination was prominent Dallasite Alvin Owsley <\/a>(1888-1967). A former National Commander of the American Legion and United States Ambassador to Romania, Ireland, and Denmark, Owsley was instrumental in bringing the 1964 American Legion National Convention to Dallas. Owsley and other city leaders believed Dallas to be on the verge of becoming a world-class city and wished to attract national attention in order to increase the city\u2019s stature. Planning for the 1964 American Legion National Convention commenced in 1963 amidst much excitement. Something that could not be anticipated by Owsley and event organizers, however, was the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas\u2019s own Dealey Plaza in the fall of 1963.<\/p>\r\n

As a result of the assassination, the national profile of Dallas was dealt a major blow with many expressing misgivings, fear, or even hatred of the city in the days, weeks, and months that followed. Due to the highly emotionally charged atmosphere permeating the nation at the time, Owsley hurriedly engaged in a flurry of letter writing to assure Legionnaires and other planners that Dallas was committed to democratic ideas and principles and that the events of November 22, 1963 should not forever taint the city and its residents.<\/p>\r\n

These letters as well as other materials such as programs, signs, parade routes, photos, and clippings related to the 1964 American Legion National Convention comprise part of the Owsley Collection<\/a> and document the planning and organizing of one of Dallas\u2019s earliest large scale conventions. Shown above is a photograph pulled from the collection of a booth advertising the convention featuring a cardboard cutout of Owsley standing before a large photo of the Dallas skyline.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the number of visitor friendly attractions, venues, and businesses continue to rise in the DFW area, so too does the stature of the city of Dallas as a major player in the convention business game. Now competing with the likes of major convention cities such as Las Vegas, Orlando, and Chicago, Dallas has begun… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","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":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60UnY-E","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":313,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/09\/21\/the-statler-hilton-dallas\/","url_meta":{"origin":40,"position":0},"title":"The Statler-Hilton Dallas","author":"Alexandra","date":"September 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Conrad Hilton\"","block_context":{"text":"Conrad Hilton","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/conrad-hilton\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Helicopter on Statler-Hilton Helipad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/metapth66941_l_01003-00448_01-740x894.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\/metapth66941_l_01003-00448_01-740x894.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/metapth66941_l_01003-00448_01-740x894.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2014\/06\/13\/red-river-showdown\/","url_meta":{"origin":40,"position":1},"title":"Red River Showdown","author":"Morgan","date":"June 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"With the much celebrated announcement this week that the Red River Showdown would remain at the Cotton Bowl until the year 2025, an 85 year-old Dallas tradition was upheld. Each year, Dallas becomes awash in a sea of burnt orange and red as legions of fans from north and south\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/CottonBowl.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\/CottonBowl.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/CottonBowl.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/CottonBowl.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"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":40,"position":2},"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":[]},{"id":16,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2014\/05\/30\/planning-and-development-of-the-dallas-fort-worth-regional-airport\/","url_meta":{"origin":40,"position":3},"title":"Planning and Development of the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport","author":"Morgan","date":"May 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"With summer vacation season quickly approaching, many of us will soon be jetting off to exotic-and perhaps not so exotic-locales far and near which means embarking on an odyssey through DFW International Airport. As you\u2019re navigating through the perils of parking, the joys of security, and the pageantry of sitting\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Planning and Development Cover logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/04\/Planning-and-Development-Cover-logo-300x254.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":445,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2016\/01\/20\/university-of-dallas-celebrates-60-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":40,"position":4},"title":"University of Dallas Celebrates 60 Years","author":"Alexandra","date":"January 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This year, the University of Dallas celebrates its sixtieth year of education and enlightenment. In September of 1956, 96 students began undergraduate studies at the newly-founded University of Dallas, located in what is now Irving. Today, nearly 3,000 students attend the University. Bishop Thomas K. Gorman became chancellor of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Bishop Gorman\"","block_context":{"text":"Bishop Gorman","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/bishop-gorman\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"University of Dallas Advertisement, UNTA_AR0327-020-002","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/10\/UNTA_AR0327-020-002_01-400x514.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"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":40,"position":5},"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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40","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\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":582,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40\/revisions\/582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}