DEERE DAY IN DALLAS

The largest airlift of its type ever attempted by a single manufacturer, it took almost 100 aircraft to bring nearly 5000 dealers and about a thousand other guests from across the U.S., Canada, and even overseas to Dallas Love Field in a single day.

Why Dallas in August? The date is easily explained, as production of two-cylinder tractors ceased early in the year following a surge to build inventory. The New Generation of Power was ready to be shown, and the factories had just returned to work ready to build them, following a production shutdown period during which they were transformed from one era to the next. But why Dallas? It’s mighty hot there in August.

August 30, 1960: Deere Day in Dallas is in full swing during the afternoon in the parking lot of the Cotton Bowl. Earlier, the participants had been at Dallas Memorial Auditorium in downtown Dallas for the initial introduction, and then in the Coliseum (the blue building) at the Texas State Fair Park for their first look at the tractors. By the time this photo was taken, the dealers and other guests had moved out into the display to get up close and personal with the new products.

Well, it’s plenty hot in the Midwest, too, with humidity to match. Several previous major product introductions had been held at Waterloo, and some at Dubuque, but neither location was equipped to handle this volume of air traffic, or supply lodging for that many guests all essentially arriving at once, or have the facilities to provide a comfortable indoor presentation of the new lineup. So, there was logic, but then there was the “real” reason; Dallas was regarded by top management to be just enough of a dramatic and offbeat choice of locations to “whet the appetite” of the dealers — and the press.

Actually, the show in Dallas was spread over two days, the 29th and the 30th of August 1960, with the 30th being the noted day in history. And the event took place in two separate locations; not just one, as most non-attendees have seemed to envision over the years. Here’s what happened…

August 29, 1960; the airlift took place and guests were registered. The excitement virtually electrified the atmosphere, with speculation and rumors spinning. The guests were then moved to 21 hotels and motels in the area, where conversation continued into the late hours.

Dealers flocked to the “3010s” on display at Deere Day in Dallas,” probably finding them to be a comfortable and familiar size, quite comparable to the “630”, but with more horsepower.

While the dealers were arriving, William A. Hewitt, along with C.R. Carlson, Jr., Vice President of Marketing, were busy at the “headquarters hotel” handling a press conference. This proved to be a lively session that drew many questions from the press about the new products, as well as the future outlook for agriculture and the industrial markets. The press conference was filmed, and later televised.

Then, on August 30, a full hour before the doors were scheduled to be opened, a huge crowd had already gathered at the Dallas Memorial Auditorium where “Deere Day in Dallas” would officially begin. Huge 24-foot-tall letters spelled out “JOHN DEERE” on the exterior of the circular building.

Never before had the entire John Deere sales organization been called together under one roof. Dallas was one of the few cities with facilities to accommodate such a large group. The “New Generation of Power” was introduced on film projected onto a huge, five-sided movie screen so everyone in the auditorium had a good view. Company officers who
spoke were televised “live” on the screens; and a full ice review (yup, skaters in formation), complete with sales pitch, spiced up the show.

The Dallas Memorial Auditorium is near the downtown area of the city. After the show, attendees filed into the huge basement for a reportedly delicious box lunch, and then moved to the 92 waiting buses to be shuttled across town to the Texas State Fairgrounds, site of the coliseum and famed Cotton Bowl.

The dirt-floored coliseum was ideal for “live” demonstrations of the New Generation Tractors. A translating service for non-English-speaking attendees was provided here and at the auditorium. The crowd roared approval as each new tractor, including the industrial line, rolled into the coliseum; welcome relief for the engineers attending, who had spent the last seven years developing them.

Deere Day in Dallas was followed, across the country, with dealer introductions of varying size and scope. The laid-back approach was taken by Wooster Farm Equipment of Wooster, Ohio, at the local fair, which worked just fine for them.

After the product introduction, the crowd spilled out into the Cotton Bowl parking lot to see the machinery firsthand. Two million dollars’ worth of new John Deere Tractors and Equipment (14 million in today’s dollars) formed the huge, geometrical display. It included 136 tractors and 223 implements spread over several acres — nearly the entire John Deere Agricultural and Industrial lines. Dealers looked, touched, patted, climbed, and praised what they saw. And then, as suppertime approached, they anticipated what they had been smelling throughout the afternoon — a big “Texas Barbecue.”

Nearly 3200 chickens “gave their all” for Deere Day in Dallas, and 4500 pounds of beef were prepared. After the barbecue, the event came to a dramatic conclusion with a brilliant fireworks display. The John Deere trademark and the new tractors were outlined in living fire, amid a background of colorful aerial displays.

It was a jam-packed absorbing day nearly 47 years ago, and is still fresh in the minds of attendees who enjoy recalling “the good old days,” and wonder when the New Generation will truly become widely accepted as an integral part of the vintage John Deere scene. That day has come.