Victor Lallier painting. From the collections of the Dallas Historical Society.
Like most good stories, this one began with a rip-roaring fight at City Hall. I was attending a town hall meeting in the basement of “the people’s house” to discuss the future of that building and whether I.M. Pei’s iconic, brutalist structure should be replaced by a basketball arena or preserved instead, despite its widely acknowledged unworkable design and leaking parking garage.
As I entered the small auditorium, a stranger quietly asked me to dial 911. He was clearly struggling to breathe, and his color was ashen. He drooped in his seat at an odd angle and periodically nodded off, then shook as if chilled to the bone.
I pulled out my phone and called for medical help, then strode to a nearby security officer to alert him. He said he would communicate with paramedics and guide them in through the basement parking garage.
Town hall meeting on whether to save or scrap Dallas City Hall. Photography by Carol Toler.
During the ten minutes or so while we waited, I stayed by the man’s side and checked his condition as directed by the 911 dispatcher. Mostly, though, I reassured him that paramedics were on their way. I worked to keep him calm by chatting with him, and I learned that — despite the meeting having been called by council members Cara Mendelsohn from District 12 in Far North Dallas and Paul Ridley from District 14 in Lakewood — the man and I are close neighbors in Lake Highlands. His name is Randy Streng, and he’s a longtime Advocate Magazine reader.
In a scene straight out of film noir, Streng lifted a bit, looked me square in the eyes and told me he’s been searching for a painting he believes is missing from City Hall. He described a giant art piece painted in the late 1940s or early 1950s depicting civic leaders discussing our city’s future. Among those in the scene, to the best of his recollection, were R.L. Thornton, former mayor of Dallas, Rabbi David Lefkowitz of Temple Emanu-El and Fred Florence, prominent banker and philanthropist. The painting hung on the second or third floor but is nowhere to be found, he told me.
The good news is that Streng is right-as-rain today. It turns out he had a bad bout of food poisoning, and the fine folks at Baylor Hospital gave him great care. I wouldn’t have bet good money on him that night, to be honest, but he’s doing well now, and we’ve become friends.
The other good news is that he was correct about the painting. Renowned Fort Worth artist Victor Lallier painted it between 1951 and 1956, and it hung in City Hall for many years. Streng found this video of Lallier being interviewed by WBAP-TV in Fort Worth about the painting and displaying it for the first time. Apparently, the artist discussed his hopes of finding a permanent home for artwork, though sound on the clip has been sadly lost.
The video shows 14 men in the painting, with a listing of their names beneath: B. F. Mclain, J. Woodall Rodgers, Dean Robt. G. Storey, Fred F. Florence, John E. Mitchell, Jr., Dr. Edw. H. Cary, R. L. (Bob) Thornton, Dr. David Lefkowitz, Justice Wm. H. Atwell, Dr. Umphrey Lee, Karl Hoblitzelle, Nathan Adams, Tom C. Gooch and John W. Carpenter. Here’s just a bit about each man:
Bernard Francis Mclain (1891-1968) This New Jersey native was a Yale University graduate who commanded trench mortar divisions in France during World War I. After the war he became an intelligence officer at Camp Morgan near Houston, then he began a lengthy association with the Hart Furniture Company in Dallas. He also served as a director of Republic National Bank, Dallas Railway and Terminal and Texas Industries. He was involved in the Dallas Citizens Council, American Red Cross, United Service Organizations, Better Business Bureau and Dallas Chamber of Commerce. He was a trustee of the Caruth Foundation, a director of the Trinity Improvement Association and a director of the Dallas Grand Opera Association. He earned the Linz Award for his service to Dallas.
James Woodall Rodgers (1890-1961) If you’ve ever taken “Woodall” to work, you’ve heard of this Alabama native who earned his law degree from the University of Texas. His Dallas law career was interrupted by World War I, where he rose from private to field artillery major during his 18 months of service. Back in Texas, he led the Dallas Bar Association, the First National Bank of Childress and Delta Airlines. He served as Dallas mayor during World War II, putting the city on a cash operating basis and pushing for planned growth. Under his leadership, Central Expressway, Memorial Auditorium and the Dallas Public Library were built. He was the first president of the Dallas Salesmanship Club, and he founded the Greater Dallas Planning Council. He was board chairman of the Dallas Council on World Affairs, a trustee of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (now the Dallas Museum of Art), and a director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He was named the Dallas Press Club’s “All Time Headliner” in 1961.
Robert Gerald Storey (1893-1981) When World War II ended and the world looked to America to hold the Nazis accountable, Storey’s reputation in the world of law made him a logical choice to serve as the executive trial counsel for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, America’s chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials. A veteran of both world wars, Storey had served as assistant attorney general for Texas and president of the Dallas Bar Association. Storey played a pivotal role in collecting indisputable evidence of crimes against humanity used to convict 19 Nazis, including Rudolf Hess and Hermann Goring. He was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom and the French Legion of Honor. After the trials, he returned home to Dallas and became dean of SMU’s Dedman School of Law.
Fred Farrel Florence (1891-1960) Born Fred Fromowitz to Lithuanian immigrant parents in New York City, he and his family changed their names after moving to Texas and opening a family store. He began work at the First National Bank in Rusk as a teen, later advancing to bookkeeper then cashier then president at various institutions. After serving in the U.S. Army he returned to banking and headed up Republic National Bank of Dallas. Florence was appointed by Texas governors and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve on various recovery and relief boards during the Great Depression, and he served on the State Fair of Texas board, the Dallas Civic Federation, the Citizens Council and the Chamber of Commerce. He was a leader at the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the Southwest Research Institute, St. Mark’s School of Texas and SMU, where Florence Hall is named for him.
John Elvin Mitchell, Jr. – If you’ve ever visited Deep Ellum to watch acts as diverse St. Vincent, Erykah Badu, Robert Plant, the Dave Matthews Band, the Lumineers and Black Sabbath, you’ve crossed paths with the John E. Mitchell Company plant, better known as The Bomb Factory. Built in 1928 in Dallas’ cotton gin manufacturing district and enlarged over the years, the machinery produced there proved invaluable to cotton growers throughout the South. After the death of his father in 1938, Mitchell Junior shifted focus to the war in Europe. The company became a leader in the manufacture of munitions and was awarded the prestigious “E Award” four times for “outstanding production of war materials.” When the war ended, Mitchell reworked the factory again to produce ICEE frozen carbonated beverage dispensers, MagiVac cleaning systems and Handy-Mart commercial refrigerator units.
Edward Henry Cary (1872-1953) Descended from one of the first families of Virginia, Dr. Cary earned his medical license at Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City. He set up a practice in ophthalmology in Dallas that spanned half a century. As dean of Baylor Medical College, he led the school to become one of the leading medical institutions in the Southwest. During World War I, he set up the Baylor Medical and Surgical Unit, which served in France. After Baylor Medical School moved to Houston, he founded the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He was one of the founders of the Dallas Historical Society, and he served as president of the Dallas County Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Cary Junior High, named by Dallas ISD in his honor, was destroyed by the tornado of 2019.
Robert Lee Thornton (1880-1964) After losing their farm due to a title flaw, Thornton’s parents moved the family to Village Creek, near Ennis. He picked a bale of cotton a day as a seven-year-old, attending school sporadically and completing just eight grades. He got a job as a store clerk and borrowed money from his boss to take a business course in Dallas. Initial attempts to create various companies failed, but he kept trying (and borrowing from family) until he was head of Mercantile National Bank. Journalists began calling him “Mr. Dallas” due to his civic involvement, including terms as president of the Chamber of Commerce, director of the Texas Centennial Exposition, organizer of the Dallas Citizens Council and president of the State Fair of Texas. As Dallas mayor, his motto was “Keep the dirt flying,” and his projects included the Forney Dam, which provided for Dallas residents’ future water needs. R.L. Thornton Freeway is named for him.
David Lefkowitz (1875-1955) Born in Presov, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he immigrated to New York City as a young boy with his three brothers and impoverished, widowed mother, who placed him in an orphanage. He graduated from college and graduate school, later marrying and becoming a rabbi. As leader of Dallas’ Temple Emanu-El, Lefkowitz spoke out against the Ku Klux Klan, which was gaining a strong foothold in Dallas and throughout the South. Aware that many Klansmen were also members of the Masons, he joined the organization and attended their meetings. He appealed to their civic pride by warning of the effects of Klan violence on Dallas’ reputation and growth. He helped organize the Texas A&M Hillel Club, the oldest such group in America, and interviewed many early Jewish settlers in Texas to gather and publish their accounts.
William Hawley Atwell (1869-1961) Atwell moved from Wisconsin to rural Dallas County as a child and later earned his law degree at the University of Texas. He set up a law practice in Dallas and was appointed U.S. District Attorney by President William McKinley. He was nominated to run against incumbent governor Pat Neff but kicked up a political firestorm when he publicly condemned the Ku Klux Klan. He lost the election by a landslide but was appointed U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas. He became known in 102 counties for his rigorous style, his unwillingness to tolerate nonsense from attorneys and his commitment to the law. He wrote several books, was appointed city zoo commissioner and served as national grand exalted ruler of Elks.
Umphrey Lee (1893-1958) Lee moved from Indiana to Texas as a teen with his minister father and the rest of his family. He earned a Master of Theology degree from SMU and pastored several congregations before leading Highland Park UMC. He became SMU’s fourth president and its first to boast a PhD. His 15-year tenure included the end of the Great Depression and World War II, and Lee welcomed large numbers of veterans returning to education on the GI Bill. He used temporary buildings to house the influx of students and located this “Trailerville” where SMU’s Meadows Museum stands today. There’s an Umphrey Lee elementary school in Dallas ISD and an Umphrey Lee Center at SMU.
Karl St. John Hoblitzelle (1879-1967) Born in St. Louis as one of 13 children, Hoblitzelle quit school early to help support his family. He worked in a real estate office and a soap factory before taking a job as office boy for Isaac S. Taylor, director of the St. Louis World’s Fair. Before long he was playing a leadership role. Entertainment contacts alerted him to the potential of vaudeville, so he founded the Interstate Amusement Company with theaters across Texas. He upgraded the “saloon” theater image by censoring vaudeville acts and marketing “family” entertainment. He added motion picture theaters, with innovative advances such as air conditioning, sound and earphones for the hard-of-hearing. During World War I, he provided entertainment for patients in army and navy hospitals. He lobbied for greater involvement early in World War II, and he required customers in his theaters to purchase war bonds or donate to the cause. Hoblitzelle was a leader at Hockaday School, Texas A&M University and SMU. He was director of the Dallas Citizens Council, the Dallas Art Association and the Dallas Symphony Association. The Hoblitzelle Foundation continues making major contributions to health, science, education and the arts.
Nathan Adams (1869-1966) The youngest of seven children and a native of Pulaski, Tennessee, his father died when he was five years old, leaving his mom to support the family. He dropped out of college after one year to go to work, then borrowed $75 to move to Dallas with a friend. He rose swiftly in the banking ranks and became president of First National Bank of Dallas, the largest in the south. Adams was sometimes called “Dean of the Texas Bankers” and is credited with the regional financial preeminence of Dallas. He was instrumental in the founding of the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children and served as a Shriner and Scottish Rite Mason.
Thomas Carbry Gooch (1896-1941) Though he was born in Bonham, Texas, Gooch was the son of an Englishman and descendant of a knight of the first Duke of Marlborough. His mother’s ancestors were among the first to settle the original Mexican-Spanish region of Texas. Gooch displayed an aptitude for drawing as a child, but he abandoned art to become a reporter. During his time at the Dallas Times Herald, he served as reporter, then editor-in-chief, then publisher (even occasional cartoonist), and the paper played a prominent role in the region’s growth. He was active in the Associated Press, the State Fair of Texas, the Dallas Art Association, the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the Texas Press Association, the Texas Publishers Association and the Sons of the Republic of Texas. A school in Dallas ISD is named for him.
John William Carpenter (1881-1959) Born on a farm in East Texas, Carpenter rose at the Corsicana Gas and Electric Company from day laborer to lineman to plant engineer to bookkeeper to collector to superintendent. He traveled to Schenectady, New York, to work for General Electric, which trained him in electrical engineering through their apprenticeship program, then returned to Texas to become Corsicana G&E’s president and general manager. He later moved to Dallas to lead Dallas Power and Light, then Texas Power and Light, then the Texas Public Utilities Corporation. In 1930, he organized Texas Security Life Insurance Company — the precursor to Southland Life. He led the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Southwester Legal Foundation, the State Fair of Texas and the first board of regents of Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University). Carpenter Freeway is named for him.
So, what happened to the painting?!?
I called Ashley Guevara, senior public information officer for the city’s Office of Arts and Culture, who kindly researched the subject. She told me the painting had originally been on loan for display at city hall. It was returned to its rightful home at the Department of Homeland Security.
Wait, what? Department of Homeland Security? The Department of Homeland Security didn’t even exist when that painting was created, plus that’s a federal agency.
Hmmmm, she pondered. Yeah, they said they sent it to DHS.
After a little sleuthing, I located it at the Dallas Historical Society (oh, that DHS), inside the Hall of State, deep in the heart of Fair Park.
“The painting that formerly hung at City Hall? Yes, that painting is here in long term storage,” DHS Curator of Collections Kaitlyn Price told me. “It’s crated now, it’s just too big for display here.”
Mystery solved.
Final note: In addition to the accolades listed above, I found that some of these Dallas leaders may have had blemished histories, which I chose not to include here. Frankly, digging up and giving equal time to each man’s imperfections and wrong-headed views could take months. It’s possible that the painting was removed from City Hall for this reason, though I was not able to secure an answer to this question after asking multiple current and former city officials and staff members. Instead, I have focused on the men’s positive contributions to our fine city and the Nancy Drew story of how I came to learn about the painting and its whereabouts.
