History

The Dallas Assembly, founded in 1962, is an organization of a diverse group of leaders from the greater Dallas area who have demonstrated leadership in the arenas of civic life, business, education, government, law, medicine, religion, science or the arts.

Our purpose is to provide a forum for the enlightenment of the membership through the interchange and challenge of ideas and issues, and to maintain a high caliber of members whose commitment is to improving the greater Dallas community through positive dialogue.  Along with many key community leaders, the Assembly counts among its ranks elected officials, chief executive officers, and executives of leading not-for-profit organizations.  Past Presidents of The Dallas Assembly include Ambassador Robert S. Strauss, businessman Norman Brinker and United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Through monthly luncheon meetings, annual seminars, and other special events, The Assembly seeks to educate and engage its members, and through them, activate the Dallas community.  In recent years, the Assembly has featured various guest speakers, such as George W. Bush, Margaret Thatcher, Al Gore, Rick Perry, Richard Daley, Stanley Marcus, and Pete Laney.

Each spring, the Assembly provides an out-of-town seminar for its members to examine best practices and success stories from another community.  Recent seminars have taken Assembly members and their guests to Paris, New York City, New Orleans, Vienna, Chicago, Monterrey, San Francisco, and Buenos Aires.  Typically, the Seminar is held in Washington, D.C. during the course of each new White House administration.  In addition, every other year during the Texas Legislative Session, the Assembly comes together for a day in Austin to dialogue with our state government leadership.

The Assembly’s membership is limited to 350 persons.  New Members are selected and accepted on a yearly basis.