1.
Texas
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Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U. S. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the states struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texan state flag, the origin of Texass name is from the word Tejas, which means friends in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, although Texas is popularly associated with the U. S. southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas land area is desert. Most of the centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, the term six flags over Texas refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas, Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state, the states annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state before the American Civil War, Texas declared its secession from the U. S. in early 1861, after the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle, due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The states economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated a boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy, as of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or allies, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, during Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas, La Provincia de Texas. Texas is the second largest U. S. state, behind Alaska, though 10 percent larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile, Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers, the Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south
2.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
3.
Hotel
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A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only the most basic guest services and facilities, Hotel rooms are usually numbered to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms, some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In the United Kingdom, a hotel is required by law to serve food, in Japan, capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities. The precursor to the hotel was the inn of medieval Europe. For a period of about 200 years from the mid-17th century, inns began to cater to richer clients in the mid-18th century. One of the first hotels in a sense was opened in Exeter in 1768. Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in the early 19th century, Hotel operations vary in size, function, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies have set standards to classify hotel types. Full service hotels often contain upscale full-service facilities with a number of full service accommodations, an on-site full service restaurant. Boutique hotels are independent, non-branded hotels that often contain upscale facilities. Small to medium-sized hotel establishments offer a limited amount of on-site amenities, economy hotels are small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer basic accommodations with little to no services. Extended stay hotels are small to medium-sized hotels that offer full service accommodations compared to a traditional hotel. Timeshare and destination clubs are a form of property ownership involving ownership of a unit of accommodation for seasonal usage. A motel is a small-sized low-rise lodging with direct access to rooms from the car park. Boutique hotels are typically hotels with an environment or intimate setting. A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, some hotels are built specifically as a destination in itself, for example at casinos and holiday resorts. The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by size, function and class
4.
Omni Hotels & Resorts
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Omni Hotels & Resorts is an American privately held, international luxury hotel company based in Dallas, Texas. The company currently operates 60 properties in the United States, Canada, of the properties only two are franchised, with the remaining hotels being either managed or managed and owned by Omni Corporate. Omni was the largest hotel chain to not offer in-room adult movies, until Marriott announced a similar policy in 2011
5.
Dallas Cowboys
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The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and plays its games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The stadium took its current name prior to the 2013 season, the Cowboys joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960. The teams national following might best be represented by its NFL record of consecutive sell-outs, the Cowboys streak of 190 consecutive sold-out regular and post-season games began in 2002. This has also corresponded to eight NFC championships, most in the NFC, the Cowboys are the only NFL team to record 20 straight winning seasons, in which they only missed the playoffs twice, an NFL record that remains unchallenged. In 2015, the Dallas Cowboys became the first sports team to be valued at $4 billion, making it the most valuable team in the world. The Cowboys also generated $620 million in revenue in 2014, a record for a U. S. sports team. Prior to the formation of the Dallas Cowboys, there had not been an NFL team south of Washington, D. C. since the Dallas Texans folded in 1952. Oilman Clint Murchison Jr. had been trying to get an NFL expansion team in Dallas, Murchison had tried to purchase the Washington Redskins from Marshall in 1958. An agreement was struck, but as the deal was about to be finalized and this infuriated Murchison and he called off the deal. Marshall then opposed any franchise for Murchison in Dallas, since NFL expansion needed unanimous approval from team owners at that time, Marshalls position would prevent Murchison from joining the league. Marshall had an out with the Redskins band leader Barnee Breeskin. Breeskin had written the music to the Redskins fight song Hail to the Redskins, Breeskin owned the rights to the song and was aware of Murchisons plight to get an NFL franchise. Angry with Marshall, Breeskin approached Murchisons attorney to him the rights to the song before the expansion vote in 1959. Murchison purchased Hail to the Redskins for $2,500, before the vote to award franchises in 1959, Murchison revealed to Marshall that he owned the song and Marshall could not play it during games. After a few Marshall expletives, Murchison gave the rights to Hail to the Redskins to Marshall for his vote, the one against Murchison getting a franchise at that time. From 1970 through 1979, the Cowboys won 105 regular season games, in addition, they appeared in 5 and won two Super Bowls, at the end of the 1971 and 1977 regular seasons
6.
KERA (FM)
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KERA is a National Public Radio member station serving North Texas. KERA FM reaches listeners across North Texas and beyond with in-depth news programs, KERA FM features two award-winning local programs, Think with host Krys Boyd and Anything You Ever Wanted to Know with host Jeff Whittington. As a member-supported public radio station, KERA FM aims to educate, inspire, enrich, inform and entertain with unique, KERA FM has a news and information format that includes national programs, reports and specials from the KERA newsroom and other original productions. Local programs include Think, hosted by Krys Boyd, CEO, hosted by Lee Cullum, CEO also has a television version that broadcasts on KERA-TV. KERA is an NPR member station and carries award-winning NPR programming including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, KERA News Digital Storytelling projects provide an in-depth look at the people of Texas — the crises they endure, the issues they overcome and the triumphs they achieve. KERAs ongoing One Crisis Away series focuses a spotlight on North Texans living on the financial edge, the Class of 17 series follows students from Dallas-Fort Worth as they start to plan the rest of their lives. Breakthroughs is a KERA News series devoted to the latest innovations in health, science, vital Signs is a weekly consumer health chat from KERA News featuring leading North Texas medical figures. Hosted by Sam Baker, topics range from flu to skin cancer to exactly what a New Year’s cocktail does to your body, podcasts of KERAs local programs are available to download and for listening on-demand via KERAs website. Art&Seek connects North Texans to the arts scene through award-winning arts journalism. The stories, interviews, reports and videos on Art&Seek cover the people who create art in North Texas, thousands of events from more than 3,000 arts groups and venues can be found on the Art&Seek calendar. Launched in 2008, Art&Seek has brought unprecedented attention to the arts in North Texas through the website artandseek. org, radio reports, public events, Art&Seek is also active on social media through Facebook and Twitter. The Art&Seek Artist Spotlight explores the personal journeys of North Texas creatives, offering an introduction to a noteworthy local artist or performer. Past Artist Spotlights have included music producers, painters and preservation architects, art&Seeks The Big Screen is a radio segment that looks in-depth at the most interesting new releases in theaters and via DVD/on-demand each week. The Big Screen features conversations with major stars and movers-and-shakers in the North Texas film scene. The Big Screen is hosted by Chris Vognar, culture critic for The Dallas Morning News, Art&Seek holds various public events including the ongoing State of The Arts series. KERA FM went on the air in July 1974, serving Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton with a mix of news, the station has since expanded its broadcast into Wichita Falls, Tyler, and Sherman. KERA FM switched to a news and information format in 2000, with an emphasis on the news programs. In 2014, KERA expanded its news department, leading to a surge in local reporting, since this expansion, hundreds of KERA stories have broadcast nationally and internationally by NPR, PRI and the BBC
7.
Downtown Dallas
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Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The square miles, population and density figures in the adjacent table represent the data for this traditional definition, however, the strong organic growth of Downtown Dallas since the early 2000s and continuing into the present has now resulted in Downtown Dallas, Inc. In total there are 15 districts that now form the definition of Downtown, Downtown Dallas achieved notoriety on November 22,1963, with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally were shot as their motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in what is now the West End Historic District, part of the former Texas School Book Depository is now the Sixth Floor Museum, with exhibits about Kennedy and the assassination. Nearby is the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial, the building boom of the 1970s and 1980s produced a distinctive contemporary profile for the downtown skyline, influenced by nationally prominent architects. Downtown Dallas has also gained more recent national attention, as it was the location of the 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers, the area is undergoing a transition as dozens of residential conversions and new high rise condos bring more permanent residents to the downtown area. As of mid-2013, there were approximately 4980 residences available in downtown Dallas and its redeveloped Main Street has recently become more of a place for Dallasites to play after several restaurants, hotels, and residential towers opened their doors along the strip. The city has invested $160 million of funds in downtown Dallas for residential development that attracted $650 million of private investment. Additionally, the $200 million 42-story Museum Tower residential skyscraper in the Downtown Dallas Arts District was completed in 2013, importantly, The Trinity River Corridor is poised to undergo a significant transformation into a giant urban park. The park is expected to include a center, lakes, trails. Funding over the years, however, has been a constant problem, though serious work on the project now appears eminent, with the first two bridges having received significant private backing. Downtown Dallas has undergone a series of important changes that city officials believe will drastically improve the citys core and these changes are located in four downtown areas, Victory Park, the Arts District, the Trinity River, and the Convention center corridor. Also currently under construction in Victory Park is the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science, One of the prominent attractions in the Arts District is the Dallas Museum of Art. Of all the changes in downtown Dallas, the Trinity River corridor is undergoing the most dramatic, dubbed the Trinity River Project by local officials, plans are also in place for improved levies to protect downtown from possible flooding. Separated from Victory Park and the Arts District by the Downtown Central Business District, is the Convention Center corridor, the Omni Dallas Hotel is a new 23-story convention center hotel that opened in 2011. The park is called an urban oasis due to its unique location. AT&T is headquartered at the Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, AT&T moved to Dallas from San Antonio, mayor of Dallas Tom Leppert said in 2008 that he hoped that AT&T would stay in the central city. Comerica is headquartered in the Comerica Bank Tower, TM Advertising has its headquarters in the same building
8.
Arts District, Dallas
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The Arts District is a performing and visual arts district in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is located south of State Thomas, southeast of Uptown, north of the City Center District, west of Bryan Place and it is bounded by St. Paul Street, Ross Avenue, Spur 366, and the US 75/I-45 elevated freeway. The Arts District is the founder and member of the Global Cultural Districts Network, the district is 68 acres large and is home to some of Dallas’ most significant cultural landmarks including facilities for visual, performing, and developing arts. In addition, multiple other organizations perform in the District on an ongoing basis and this includes everything from concerts to outdoor festivals, to lectures, youth education programs, and more. Spur 366 US75 Central Expressway/ I-45 connection The Arts District is served by the Dallas Independent School District, one school, the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, is located in the Arts District. Residents of the Arts District north and east of Akard Street are zoned to Sam Houston Elementary School, residents south and west of Akard are zoned to Hope Medrano Elementary School. All Arts District residents are zoned to Thomas J. Rusk Middle School and North Dallas High School
9.
Dallas Public Library
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The Dallas Public Library system serves as the municipal library system of the city of Dallas, Texas. In 1899, the idea to create a public library in Dallas was conceived by the Dallas Federation of Womens Clubs. She helped raise US$11,000 from gifts from public school teachers, local businessmen, the library became a reality when Mrs. Exall requested and received a US$50,000 grant from philanthropist and steel giant Andrew Carnegie to construct the first library building in Dallas. On October 22,1901, the Carnegie library opened at the corner of Harwood and Commerce streets with a head librarian, the first story held the entire collection, the second floor held the Carnegie Hall auditorium and an Art Room. The art room was the first public art gallery in Dallas, an Oak Cliff branch opened in 1914 to serve the citizens of the area, annexed into Dallas in 1903. Four more branches opened in the 1930s including the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library, in World War II, the library was fully established as a War Information Center. By the 1950s the Carnegie Library was badly deteriorating and overcrowded, during construction, the Library was housed temporarily on the mezzanine of Union Station. The new building, now known as Old Dallas Central Library, had room for over 400,000 volumes, during the 1960s and 1970s, the Dallas Public Library added 17 branches to the system. Days after she was put into office, she faced a censorship push from a Dallas council-member, the City Council, in response, overwhelmingly approved her appointment and passed a resolution not to censor books purchased by the library. By the 1970s, the Central Library had again become overloaded and was unequipped to handle emerging technology, in 1972, the City selected a 114,000 square feet site at Young and Ervay across from the Dallas City Hall for a new central library facility. In 1982, the technologically sophisticated structure opened its doors and it was one of the first libraries in the nation to include an Online Public Access Catalog and state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities. It was renamed the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in 1986 in honor of the mayor who played a large role in the library systems development. In 1996 the Library implemented the STAR computer system, which allowed patrons to access a multitude of electronic databases, by the 2000s, the system had 27 branch locations with over 2.5 million volumes, including books, magazines, videos, and cassettes. The system currently attracts 2.8 million visitors per year and has 540,000 cardholders who check out more than 3.8 million books, the Library also operates a Library on Wheels Mobile Learning Center to service Dallas communities. The Dallas Public Library is home to a copy of Shakespeares First Folio and it was purchased by the Dallas Shakespeare Club in 1984 at a cost of $275,000 and was gifted to the Library in 1986. It is displayed on the 7th floor, a Dunlap Broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence is also housed on the 7th floor. Printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia, it is one of twenty-five known to survive. This is the only copy west of the Mississippi, and one of only 3 displayed by a public library and it was purchased by a number of individuals for $500,000 and given to the city
10.
Adolphus Hotel
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Hotel Adolphus is an upscale hotel and Dallas Landmark in the Main Street District of Downtown Dallas Dallas, Texas. It was for years the tallest building in the state. The hotel is part of Autograph Collection, buschs intention in constructing the hotel was to establish the first grand and posh hotel in the city of Dallas. Under the management of Otto Schubert from 1922–1946, the hotel grew to national prominence, with 22 floors standing a total of 312 feet, the building was the tallest building in Texas until it was dwarfed by the Magnolia Petroleum Building just down the street in August 1922. The building underwent a series of expansions, first in 1916, then 1926 and finally in 1950, in the 1930s, various venues of the Adolphus played host to many big band musicians of the era, including Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. The Adolphus has been the host of many respected leaders of business, government and entertainment, including presidents, elizabeth II and Prince Philip also stayed at the hotel in 1991. Acclaimed British Milliner Nick Smith resided at the hotel for several months in 2007 to write his début novel Rock Royalty and this hotel was a Dallas hub for entertainment and provided a platform that helped developing careers, such as Bob Hope, Jack Benny and others. North American Aviation and others benefitted from its position as a Texas business hub, during the 1980s, the Adolphus underwent a US$80 million renovation, enlarging and modernizing the already-luxurious guestrooms. It also shrunk the total number of guestrooms to 428 to make the more spacious. The Adolphus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, the Hotel has been named one of the top ten in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler and also receives high ratings from Zagat, Fodors and Frommers. The structure is a Dallas Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel is reportedly haunted by the ghost of a jilted bride, who has been seen wandering the 19th floor of the hotel. She was due to be married one day during the 1930s, later that day her body was found, hanging a few feet from the spot where she was due to say her vows. Hotel Adolphus Web Site National Register of Historic Places narrative Get the Facts Online
11.
Bank of America Plaza (Dallas)
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Bank of America Plaza is a 72-story,280.7 m late-modernist skyscraper located in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the tallest skyscraper in the city, the 3rd tallest in Texas and it contains 1,900,000 sq ft of office space. The building was designed by JPJ Architects and developed by Bramalea Limited of Toronto, the original owner was a joint venture arrangement including Prudential Insurance, Bramalea Limited, and First National Bank of Dallas under parent company InterFirst Corporation. Construction commenced in 1983 and the tower was completed in 1985, the building was designed by JPJ Architects and developed by Bramalea Limited of Toronto. The original owner was a joint venture arrangement including Prudential Insurance, Bramalea Limited, Construction commenced in 1983 and the tower was completed in 1985. The development was called the Dallas Main Center, but has taken many names over its short history. Upon opening the tower was called InterFirst Bank Plaza and has been renamed several times because of the mergers, in 1986 the tower was renamed First Republic Bank Plaza after InterFirst Corporations merger with Republic Bank Corporation. First Republic Corporation later failed and was sold in 1988 to Charlotte-based North Carolina National Bank by the Resolution Trust Corporation becoming NCNB Texas, the tower was renamed NCNB Plaza. Original plans for the development, initially called Dallas Main Center, original designs for the tower were capped with stepped pyramid crowns and were initially intended to be clad in a silver glazing with gold accent band curtain wall. In order to gain FAA approval to build the tower, the pyramid was removed. Another design change altered the curtain wall materials, which were replaced with blue glazing, as a result of the collapse of the price for oil, real estate, and banking industry in Texas in the mid-eighties, the twin tower and hotel were never completed. The hotel site remains a parking lot, and the site of the second 72-story tower was purchased by the City of Dallas after a 2006 bond election. The surface parking lot was converted into Belo Garden Park, the buildings facetted facade is accented at night by nearly two-miles of green argon lighting running primarily at the edges and corners of the tower. Green was chosen over red or blue because it is visible from a distance. It has also reported that the second tower, if built would have been accented with purple lighting. Several months later, many of the tubes had burnt out due to the design. The initial problem was the failure to factor in the tempestuous weather playing havoc on the lighting system, the building management switched off the entire lighting system and planned to remove the tubes permanently. In 1986, a girl who was so disappointed to see the darkened skyscraper started the drive to replace the entire system by donating one dollar
12.
The Joule Hotel
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The Joule Hotel is a five-star, 164-room boutique hotel developed by Headington Hotels. Located at 1530 Main Street, between Akard Street and Ervay Street, the building was constructed in 1927 as the Dallas National Bank Building, and was known later as the SPG Building. Positioned at the end of Stone Street Plaza, it is centralized in the Main Street District of downtown Dallas, Texas, the Dallas National Bank completed construction of the office building in 1927. It has garnered acclaim for its 10th floor pool that cantilevers eight feet over the easement below, the architect of the project was ARCHITEXAS in Dallas. The hotel interior was developed by world-renowned designer, Adam Tihany, from 2005 through 2007, evidence of a fire was discovered during ongoing renovations of the building next to the Joule. Additional historic images of the Dallas National Bank building are available through the Dallas Public Library dating back to 1927, search Main and Dallas National Bank on the digital collection of the Dallas Public Library online catalog for additional images. Http, //www. thejouledallas. com/ The Joule Hotel] Official site
