Thanks-Giving Square: A Timeline of History and Change

In the early 1960s, before tragedy struck, Dallas was on the rise as one of the major cultural and economic urban centers west of the Mississippi River. Dallas had become a post-war boomtown driven by oil, banking, and insurance.

Dallas was always full of contradictions. While home to racial intolerance and delayed desegregation, Dallas boasted sparkling new modernist real estate developments that marketed “The City of Tomorrow” to the world. It was beginning to develop national cachet with the introduction of the Dallas Cowboys in 1960, a coordinated desegregation campaign beginning in 1961, a national convention of the American Institute of Architects held in Dallas in 1962 highlighting the city’s modern renown, and the PGA Championship held at Dallas Athletic Club in the summer of 1963. In November of that year, blazing progress came to a halt, and the city of the future became known as the “city of hate” overnight.

For more than half a century, Thanks-Giving Square has stood at the heart of Dallas—a place where gratitude, reflection, and unity continue to shape the life of the city. Here are significant milestones and events in the life of the Square.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. He was pronounced dead shortly after at Parkland Memorial Hospital, and the tragedy stunned the nation and the world. In the years that followed, the event cast a long shadow over Dallas, shaping its national reputation and identity for decades.

In 1964, Four Dallas leaders—Peter Stewart, Julius Schepps, Joe Neuhoff, and John Stemmons—gather to establish the Thanks-Giving Square Foundation and bring to life a vision for a downtown space devoted to gratitude and interfaith connection.

In 1968, the vision for Thanks-Giving Square takes a major step forward as the Foundation acquires the downtown site and shares The Spirit of Thanksgiving, a community reflection capturing the voices and gratitude of the people of Dallas.

Architect Philip Johnson, later the first recipient of the Pritzker Prize, reviews a model of his visionary design for Thanks-Giving Square after being selected for the project in 1971.

In 1973, construction begins on Thanks-Giving Square, transforming a vision of gratitude and unity into a physical space in the heart of downtown Dallas.

In 1974, President Gerald Ford visits Thanks-Giving Square, declaring it “a major national shrine” and establishing the Presidential Collection of Thanksgiving Proclamations to be housed there.

In 1976, the Chapel of Thanks-Giving is completed and dedicated during the nation’s Bicentennial, opening as a landmark space for reflection, gratitude, and unity in downtown Dallas.

A 1977 invitation marks the public opening of Thanks-Giving Square, welcoming the community to dedicate a new downtown space devoted to gratitude and shared reflection.

In 1991, President George H. W. Bush dedicates the Wall of Presidential Thanksgivings at Thanks-Giving Square, honoring a long-standing tradition of gratitude expressed by U.S. presidents.

Installed in 1996, the Norman Rockwell Golden Rule mosaic reflects Thanks-Giving Square’s enduring commitment to unity, compassion, and shared values across all cultures and faiths.

In 2000, the Chapel’s iconic Glory Window gains international recognition when it is featured on a United Nations stamp during the International Year of Thanksgiving.

In 2016, following the tragic events of July 7, the Dallas community gathers at Thanks-Giving Square for an interfaith vigil, reaffirming the Square’s role as a place of unity, reflection, and healing in times of crisis.

1907

Peter Stewart later traced the inspiration for Thanks-Giving Square to an interfaith Thanksgiving gathering in Dallas bringing together Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic clergy—an early expression of shared gratitude across traditions.

1961

Stewart begins to shape the idea of a civic space centered on gratitude, asking: “Could Thanksgiving become the center of an American city?”

November 22, 1963

President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in a motorcade traveling through Dealey Plaza in Dallas – a defining moment in U.S. history that left an indelible mark on the city of Dallas and its reputation.

1964

The vision of a calm space in the city set aside for “spiritual gratitude” began with Dallas businessman Peter Stewart in 1961. He and three other prominent Dallas businessmen – Julius Schepps, Joe Neuhoff, and John Stemmons – create the Thanks-Giving Square Foundation to develop the “triangle of land bounded by Akard, Ervay, and Pacific” into a space for interfaith and cross-cultural connections. Their founding document states, “a city’s great aspiration should be apparent at its center. Thanksgiving to God is America’s most ancient and enduring tradition.”

1968

The Foundation acquires the land from the city. The group intends to have Thanks-Giving Square completed by 1976 to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial. The same year, a book of reflections on the theme of Thanksgiving written by the people of Dallas and edited by Peter Stewart is published with the title The Spirit of Thanksgiving—Testimony of the People.

1971

Architect Philip Johnson, who later became the first winner of the Pritzker Prize, is chosen to design Thanks-Giving Square.

1972

Land clearance begins May 17.

1973

Construction begins on Thanks-Giving Square.

1974

President Gerald Ford declares Thanks-Giving Square “a major national shrine” and establishes the Presidential Collection of Thanksgiving Proclamations, to be housed at the Square.

1976

The iconic Chapel of Thanks-Giving is completed. The chapel and bell tower are dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, in celebration of the nation’s bicentennial. A public dedication took place on November 28.

1977

The Hall of Thanks-Giving opens at Thanks-Giving Square in September.

The remainder of the Square opens to the public on the anniversary of General George Washington’s proclamation establishing the first national Day of Thanksgiving on request of the Continental Congress.

1981

The First Convocation of World Thanksgiving is held at Thanks-Giving Square.

1991

President George H. W. Bush dedicated the Wall of Presidential Thanksgivings at the Square.

1996

The Norman Rockwell Golden Rule mosaic is installed, reflecting the Square’s commitment to universal values shared across cultures and faiths.

2000

The Chapel’s Glory Window is featured on a United Nations stamp during the International Year of Thanksgiving, highlighting its global symbolic reach.

2012

Peter Stewart and Thanks-Giving Square are honored with the inaugural Spirit of the United Nations Award for Youth Outreach.

2016

Following the tragic events of July 7, 2017, in which five Dallas police officers were killed and nine other officers were injured along with two civilians,  the city gathers at Thanks-Giving Square on July 8th for an interfaith vigil, reaffirming its role as a place of unity and healing in times of crisis.

2018

Peter Pauls Stewart, founder and driving force behind the Square, passes away at age 98.

2021

The Thanks-Giving Foundation earnestly begins planning for expansion and renovation of the Square.

<<<BACK TO STORIES