Community Course (Dallas, Tex.)

Founded in 1939 by co-sponsors Southern Methodist University and Temple Emanu-El, Community Course was a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the cultural life of SMU and the Dallas community. With seven or eight performances per season (October-April) held at SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium, Community Course provided a variety of lectures, musical performances, and theatrical productions, which catered to general public tastes. Only season tickets were sold – and quickly sold out – at a low price, while SMU students received free admission to all events. Yet from its very first season the series managed to operate without subsidies from its two sponsors.

Ronald C. Knickerbocker, an SMU alumnus and son of a school founder, served as executive director of the Community Course throughout its forty-year run. Part of the success of the flexible-format series stemmed from Knickerbocker’s ability to identify performers on the verge of international stardom and bring them to Dallas while their booking fees were still relatively low: for instance, Isaac Stern, Paco de Lucia, and Yehudi Menuhin all appeared on the Community Course stage as soon-to-be world-famous young artists. In addition, Knickerbocker also booked such well known figures as Salvador Dali and Thomas Mann, as well as a few popular returning acts including the three-time visit of Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

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