By: Charlotte Norgaard, Communications Manager
Clune recently announced the opening of our permanent office in Dallas, and while the Dallas-Fort Worth area may be a newer to Clune, it has a long and celebrated history that we are excited to experience. “Big things happen here,” the official slogan for Dallas, not only addresses the city’s actual size, but also the many significant achievements and historical events that make the area so unique. Check out just a few of the many fun facts that make Dallas such a dynamic location for us to expand our Clune culture!
The iconic title “Super Bowl” originated in Dallas
Initially called the “AFL-NFL Championship Game,” the name was replaced for the current term by Dallas resident Lamar Hunt, who is the former owner of the Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs) and is a member of three national sports hall of fames (soccer, football and tennis). Hunt, who is the son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, coined the term “Super Bowl” in a letter to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, and the name has been a part of NFL history ever since.
Dallas has the largest arts district in the U.S.
That’s right, of all of the U.S. cities where a Clune office is located, Dallas’ arts district is larger than Los Angeles, Chicago and even New York! The Dallas Arts District is the largest urban arts district in the United States, consisting of 19 blocks of museums, venues and galleries. Located in the downtown area, highlights of the 68-acre performing and visual arts district include the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Theatre Center, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, and Nasher Sculpture Center.
German Chocolate Cake originated in Dallas
The name is deceiving, with most assuming that German Chocolate Cake was created in Germany. The cake was in fact named after Samuel German, an American chocolate maker, who created a dark baking chocolate for the Baker’s Chocolate Company. In 1957, a recipe for “German’s Chocolate Cake”, created by a Dallas homemaker, appeared as the “Recipe of the Day” in The Dallas Morning News. The recipe, which used the baking chocolate created by German became immediately popular, and increased sales of Baker’s Chocolate by over 70%, and the cake became an American tradition. The possessive form (German’s) was later dropped to make the recipe “German Chocolate Cake”, leading many to believe the recipe originated in Germany.
The frozen margarita machine was invented in Dallas
In 1971 Dallas resident Mariano Martinez adapted a soft serve ice cream machine to make margaritas, calling it “The World’s First Frozen Margarita Machine”. The invention has dramatically increased the demand for tequila in the U.S, and popularized Tex-Mex cuisine for decades.
Dallas is the only Clune location not located on a large body of water
Dallas is now the first Clune office location that is not located on a navigable body of water. But even without a port or easy access to maritime trade routes, Dallas-Fort Worth has grown into the fourth largest metro area in the country. It is also one of the fastest growing metro areas, in terms of both Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population growth. At 385-square-miles, the Dallas-Fort Worth area is not land-locked, allowing for potential future growth.
The Declaration of Independence is in the Dallas Public Library
The Dallas Public Library permanently displays one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed on July 4, 1776.
The Dallas Cowboys were once known by two different names
In the 58-years since the five-time NFL Championship team was founded, it has changed names twice. The team kicked off its career as the Dallas Steers. They were also briefly known as the Rangers, before General Manger Tex Schramm finally settled on the now iconic Cowboys name. The Dallas Cowboys have made eight appearances in the Super Bowl, and have been a source of great envy and admiration throughout the pro-sports world.
A “Who Done It?” episode of the infamous night-time drama Dallas holds the record as the most-watched T.V. episode in history
In 1980, 360 million viewers tuned in to find out who shot J.R. Today, the famous Southfork Ranch, the site for Dallas and the T.V. home to the fictional Ewing family, is open to the public for tours. There you can find out where Bobby’s funeral was filmed, and see props like the gun that shot J.R.
Dallas is home to only freestanding theatre designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Kalita Humphreys Theater, a performance space located in Dallas’s Turtle Creek area was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is the only freestanding theater designed by Wright that was built to completion. Also located in Dallas is the John A. Gillin House, the last home designed by Wright before his death in 1959.
The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is as big as it feels
The Dallas-Fort Worth International airport covers 27-square-miles, and is larger than the island of Manhattan. In comparison to airports in other cities where Clune has offices, it could contain New York’s JFK, Chicago O’Hare and Los Angeles International with room to spare. Second only to Denver, it is the second largest airport in the U.S. and the third largest in the world.
Dallas is the second most active construction market in the country
Dallas is only second to New York for total construction activity according to a 2019 report from Dodge Data and Analytics. Over the last few months, even despite the COVID-19 pandemic, construction companies have continued to expand, hire and promote employees in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Clune is excited to now be a part of this dynamic area, and are looking forward to contributing to the many more big things yet to happen in Dallas!
