The Dallas Historical Society Announces The Director’s Inner Circle New Membership Group
(Featured photo: Nancy Shelton, co-hostess; Karl Chiao, Executive Director, DHS; Shannon Callewart, co-hostess.)
The Dallas Historical Society’s (DHS) newest membership group, The Director’s Inner Circle, was announced at a soirée hosted by Nancy Shelton and Shannon Callewart, in Nancy’s lovely home.
Karl Chiao, DHS executive director, welcomed the crowd, thanking the hosts and gave a brief overview of the new group. Nancy also shared insight into the history of her home, which was landmarked in 2020 by the then Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society, which is now Preservation Park Cities.
Comprised of its esteemed founding members, former Fellows of the Dallas Historical Society, The Director’s Inner Circle is designed to engage a vibrant community of proactive individuals passionate about history. This exclusive membership offers exciting and unique programming opportunities.
Members of The Director’s Inner Circle will have access to a variety of behind-the-scenes events and intimate gatherings. One such highlight is DHS’ latest series, the Author’s Table Dinners, where members will enjoy intimate dinner parties featuring bestselling authors and Pulitzer Prize nominees. These gatherings provide a platform for engaging conversations about their latest works.
The roots of The Fellows of the Dallas Historical Society can be traced back to October 1, 1934. A rediscovered roster of the original 1922 members from the Society’s archives in the early 1980s revealed the names of one hundred and one distinguished Dallasites, many of whom have descendants who continue to support the Dallas Historical Society to this day.
In 1982, the Fellows received official recognition as a unique membership category within the Dallas Historical Society. Steering this initiative was Louise Caldwell, alongside the esteemed Stanley Marcus, the last surviving member of the original 1937 group, who served as co-chair. Marcus, upon accepting his role, ensured that funds raised would be allocated to the publication of works on Dallas history. Additionally, he requested to be identified as Stanley Marcus, NCM, an abbreviation cryptically indicating “no committee meetings” upon inquiry.
For more information, the public can contact the office assistant at assistant@dallashistory.org or call 214-421-4500. Or visit the website at https://www.dallashistory.org/programs/
The Dallas Historical Society: Whether someone is new to Dallas or a native Texan, the Dallas Historical Society offers programs and exhibits that educate and inform visitors about their home city and reveal insights and little-known facts that one might be unable to attain from history books alone, especially with the museum’s newest permanent exhibit, the interactive Texas Liberty Forever: The Battle of the Alamo diorama by Thomas Feely.
Ongoing events include Brown Bag Lectures, An Evening With programs, and Pour Yourself Into History happy hours. Join in discovering more about Dallas and take part in one or more of these wonderful programs. Visit the website for more information at www.dallashistory.org
The Dallas Historical Society Celebrated Its Centennial Year In 2022
The stories of Dallas are shared each day at the Dallas Historical Society through the three million items that comprise our archives and artifact collections. Established in 1922, the Dallas Historical Society collects, preserves, and exhibits the unique heritage of Dallas and Texas to educate and inspire future generations.
Housed at the Hall of State in Fair Park since 1938, DHS presents these collections through education programs, exhibitions, tours, access to research materials and workshops.
Among the three million historical artifacts at DHS are such treasures as Sam Houston’s handwritten account of the Battle of San Jacinto, the only known original Juneteenth document, James Fannin’s watch, and Santa Anna’s spurs. The DHS collection houses over 10,000 bound volumes and receives more than 1,500 research requests annually.
Each year, the Dallas Historical Society is visited by over 160,000 people and serves more than 20,000 students through guided tours and educational programming at the Hall of State, as well as outreach programs at schools. Visit the website for more information at www.dallashistory.org
Photos by Rob Wythe
(Sharon Adams, Adams Communications Public Relations, is honored to represent the Dallas Historical Society and its special events and announcements and post this Philanthropy Lifestyles Scene.)
