Dallas, George Mifflin, 1792-1864, American statesman, vice president of the United States (1845-49), b. Philadelphia; son of Alexander James Dallas. He read law, was admitted (1813) to the bar, and was secretary to Albert Gallatin. After serving as solicitor (1815-17) of the Bank of the United States, Dallas was city attorney (1817-19) and mayor (1819) of Philadelphia. An active Democrat, he was appointed (1829) U.S. district attorney for E Pennsylvania, then served as a U.S. Senator (1831-33), as attorney general of Pennsylvania (1833-35), and as minister to Russia (1837-39). He returned to his law practice, and a sharp political rivalry developed between him and James Buchanan in Pennsylvania. In 1844, Dallas was elected vice president on the Democratic ticket along with James K. Polk. Dallas was later appointed (1856) minister to Great Britain and was succeeded (1861) in that post by Charles Francis Adams. Dallas conducted the negotiations leading to the Dallas-Clarendon Convention, signed in 1856, which set a basis for the settlement of difficulties in Central America. He also secured from Great Britain a disavowal of the right of search, a historic matter of dispute. He wrote a biography (1871) of his father.

Dallas, Alexander James, 1759-1817, U.S. secretary of the treasury (1814-16), b. Jamaica, West Indies. He went (1783) to Philadelphia, practiced law, and was secretary of state (1791-1801) and U.S. district attorney (1801-14) in Pennsylvania. Appointed secretary of the treasury by President Madison, Dallas succeeded to the office near the close of the War of 1812, when treasury affairs were in an extremely critical conditon. He pushed Congress to levy taxes heavier than any previously borne in the United States and asked for the reestablishment of the Bank of the United States. Under Dallas's administration confidence in U.S. currency was restored. After securing Madison's veto on the first bank bill, which did not suit him, Dallas largely dictated the second bill, which John C. Calhoun forced through Congress; it became law in 1816.

Dallas, city (1990 pop. 1,006,877), seat of Dallas co., N Tex., on the Trinity River near the junction of its three forks; inc. 1871. The second largest Texas city, after Houston, and the eighth largest U.S. city, Dallas is a commercial, industrial, and financial center. Its manufactures include aerospace and electronic equipment, cosmetics, textiles, chemicals, and leather goods, as well as aircraft, automobiles, and other transportation equipment. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area (known as the Metroplex) is a leader in high-technology industries—its computer manufactures have given the area the nickname "Silicon Prairie"— and receives many defense contracts. Oil is refined, and there are meatpacking plants. Its banks and insurance company headquarters make Dallas the Southwest's center for those industries. Publishing and printing are also important. The Dallas-Fort Worth airport is one of the busiest in the nation; regional airlines continue to use Love Field.

Founded c.1841, Dallas was early populated by French artisans and gentlemen who abandoned a nearby Fourierist community, La Réunion. The city was named in 1846 after Vice President George M. Dallas. Developing as a cotton market in the 1870s, Dallas later became known as a center for retail stores, including Neiman-Marcus Co., which was founded in 1907. The oil industry boomed in the 1930s; aircraft production in the 1940s. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Rapid metropolitan-area growth in the 1980s was evidenced by construction of postmodern office buildings that dramatically changed the city's skyline. North Dallas, sprawling, affluent, and almost entirely white, continues to expand.

Southern Methodist Univ., a branch of the Univ. of Texas, the Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, a theological seminary, and the Texas A&M Univ.'s Baylor College of Dentistry are in the Dallas area. A fashion center, the city is also known for its museums (e.g., Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Natural History, Nasher Sculpture Center), and for its interest in music, literature, and drama (the Dallas Theatre Center boasts the only public theater designed by Frank Lloyd Wright). In the 1980s, Dallas helped revitalize its downtown through the creation of an "arts district," which includes the Dallas Museum of Art (1984) and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center (1989). The Texas State Fair and the annual Cotton Bowl football game are held in the art deco Fair Park. Reunion Arena is home to the Mavericks (basketball) and Stars (hockey); the Cowboys (football, in Irving) and Texas Rangers (baseball, in Arlington) play in nearby suburbs.

(born July 10, 1792, Philadelphia, Pa.—died Dec. 31, 1864, Philadelphia) U.S. politician. He was the son of Alexander J. Dallas, who served as secretary of the treasury (1814–16). He completed an unexpired term as U.S. senator (1831–33) and later served as minister to Russia (1835–39). He was elected vice president under James K. Polk (1845–49). As minister to Britain (1856–61), he obtained a renunciation of Britain's claimed right to search vessels on the high seas. Dallas, Texas, was named for him.

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(born July 10, 1792, Philadelphia, Pa.—died Dec. 31, 1864, Philadelphia) U.S. politician. He was the son of Alexander J. Dallas, who served as secretary of the treasury (1814–16). He completed an unexpired term as U.S. senator (1831–33) and later served as minister to Russia (1835–39). He was elected vice president under James K. Polk (1845–49). As minister to Britain (1856–61), he obtained a renunciation of Britain's claimed right to search vessels on the high seas. Dallas, Texas, was named for him.

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City (pop., 2000: 1,188,580), north-central Texas, U.S. Located on the Trinity River, it was first settled in 1841 and was most likely named for either Joseph Dallas or George Mifflin Dallas. While cotton fed the town's growth, the discovery in 1930 of the great East Texas oil field made the city a major centre of the petroleum industry. It saw spectacular growth after World War II, when several large aircraft-manufacturing firms located in the area. These were followed by electronics and automobile-assembly plants. It is the headquarters of many insurance companies and the Southwest's leading financial centre, as well as a transportation hub. Its many educational institutions include Southern Methodist University (founded 1911). It is known for its cultural activities including opera, ballet, and symphony concerts. The city is also home to the Kalita Humphreys Theater, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

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