Historical Society Honors Arts Educators, Patrons
Preston Hollow was well represented at the Dallas Historical Society’s Awards for Excellence in Community Service luncheon yesterday, and not just because Mayor Tom Leppert and Superintendent Michael Hinojosa were in attendance. A few Preston Hollow people were among the artsiest award recipients:
Jose Antonio Bowen was honored in the Arts Leadership category. The dean of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts tried to deflect praise from himself to the audience — and illustrate the importance of supporting the arts — by asking all leaders of arts organizations to stand. He then moved on to members of any arts organizations’ boards. Finally, he recognized anyone who “ever attended an arts performance you didn’t really enjoy.”
Ed Long was honored in the Education-Teaching category. A teacher at Hockaday for decades, Long praised many people in the school’s community, from his pupils — “You can’t find better students than Hockaday’s students” — to founder Ela Hockaday: “Her school has always seen the arts as a central pillar in the education of young women.”
Howard Hallam was honored as the Jubilee History Maker. The president of the Ben E. Keith Co. has supported the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Dallas Shakespeare Festival, but he was particularly feted for his work as chairman of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation. “There is no such thing as a great city without great arts,” Hallam said. “There never has been, and there never will be.”
