Honoring the Past, Forging the Future

50 years after Lady Bird Johnson’s groundbreaking conference, women leaders are gathering again to continue the work

History is about to come full circle. In 1975, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin hosted the largest International Women’s Year conference in the U.S. Now, 50 years later, women from across the political spectrum will return to that same historic venue for the Women in Public Life Symposium: A Bipartisan Path Forward.

This isn’t just a celebration of how far we’ve come. The event’s goal is to tackle the challenges women still face today and forge a path forward for the next 50 years. Women leaders from the local to the national levels will gather November 14 alongside emerging leaders, mentors and other changemakers ready to turn inspiration into action.

I recently had the privilege of talking with Dr. Nan McRaven, who (like me) serves on the Advisory Board for the LBJ Women’s Campaign School. She also chairs the steering committee for this symposium. Nan brings an incredible perspective to the event: In 1975, she was a student at the LBJ School, helping staff the original Women in Public Life Conference, which was organized by Lady Bird Johnson and her former aide Liz Carpenter, a writer, activist and local legend in Austin.

Dr. Nan McRaven, LBJ Women’s Campaign School Board Chair

Nan is a former vice president of Motorola and has served on the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees since 2002. She earned her master’s degree in public affairs from the LBJ School and her doctorate in higher education administration/community college leadership from UT-Austin. She’s also the state advocacy representative affiliated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Our conversation spanned the past, present and future of both the conference and the women’s movement as a whole.

How the Symposium Came to Be

The idea for this 50th anniversary event came from a conversation over dinner in Washington, D.C., about a year ago. Nan was meeting with LBJ School Dean JR DeShazo and Amy Kroll, founder and outgoing director of the of the Women’s Campaign School, to talk about creating an endowment for the Campaign School

The first campaign school class

“I thought to myself, ‘Wow, next year is the 50th anniversary. Why don’t we celebrate that event — not just celebrate, but figure out how do we forge a path forward?’’ Nan told me. “There’s still much to do, and we can bring that same kind of energy 50 years later to some of the issues impacting women today.”

The idea resonated immediately. A steering committee formed with former Ambassador Carrin Patman, co-founder of The Patman Center for Civic and Political Engagement at the LBJ School; nonprofit leader Christy Carpenter (Liz Carpenter’s daughter); and many others to bring the vision to life.

An Impressive Lineup of Speakers

The symposium features an extraordinary array of women leaders who will share their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing women in public life today:

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)
Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Former U.S. ambassador to NATO, R-Texas)
Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center)
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-El Paso)
U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Houston)
U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Farmer’s Branch)
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker
Texas State Rep. Caroline Harris Davila (R-Williamson)
Texas State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway)

Nan knows many of these speakers personally and shared her excitement about what they’ll bring to the conversation. Klobuchar, with her female colleagues in the Senate, has brought critical issues to the forefront. Hutchison partnered with Sarah Weddington, the plaintiff’s attorney in Roe vs. Wade, when they were both in the Texas Legislature—a powerful example of bipartisan collaboration that feels especially relevant today. Haaland was the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary and is now running for governor of New Mexico. Spellings will bring valuable insights on women in education and the workforce. And Johnson, as an out lesbian member of Congress, will offer important perspectives on same-sex partners, childcare and workplace equality.

Focus on Solutions, Not Just Speeches

But the symposium isn’t just about listening to inspiring speakers. It’s about rolling up your sleeves and figuring out what you personally can do to move things forward.

The day will include bipartisan panels and breakout sessions addressing modern challenges in public policy and women’s leadership. Topics will include childcare access, paid family leave, contraception access and women’s political representation.

Sarah Weddington at the first symposium

“I think the big takeaways would be that we can work together,” Nan said. “Whether you’re Republican, Independent, Democratic, whatever your leanings are, we actually really have to work together to solve these problems. I just want people to listen to different opinions and realize we do have different opinions and maybe different ways of approaching the issues, but really, hand in hand, we can solve these issues for our children and our grandchildren—and we need to do that.”

As Nan points out, so-called “women’s issues” actually affect everyone. More women in the workplace means we need to think differently about childcare, parental leave, and workplace flexibility. “We have to figure out how we as a society and a community fund childcare and child services for the children who are our future,” Nan said.

Looking Back: The Power of the 1975 Conference

Listening to Nan describe that original 1975 conference, I can only imagine the energy and sense of possibility filled that room.

The 1975 conference took place just months after the International Women’s Year conference in Mexico City. Mrs. Johnson assembled an array of incredible speakers. Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem was there—as were Jill Ruckelshaus, former head of the White House Office of Women’s Programs; actress Sandy Duncan; trailblazing politician Barbara Jordan; and Frances “Sissy” Farenthold, lawyer, activist and first national chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The women’s movement was grappling with its own challenges around inclusion. Lesbians stood outside protesting, feeling excluded from the movement. Black women didn’t show up in large numbers because they didn’t feel white women were letting them into the movement.

Liz Carpenter went outside and met with the protesters. “She really talked them through that,” Nan recalled. “So she helped keep everything moving and going along.”

The students at the LBJ School, including Nan, had been working all year on a project focused on women in public life. They held conferences around the state of Texas and printed brochures on barriers women faced at that time. Remember, women couldn’t even get a credit card until 1974.

Nan presented on stage at the conference. “I remember my mother was at the event, and she was so stressed out for me — I wasn’t, I didn’t know better — that I was going to go up and present in front of 2,000 women and men, that she had to go into the overflow room to watch it,” she laughed.

An Interactive Experience

The symposium will include interactive voting on issues and fun quizzes about women’s history. You can take a closer look at this history through papers and memorabilia from Nan, Weddington and Liz Carpenter, which will be on display.

You’ll also have plenty of time to network with other attendees and make meaningful connections. The whole point is to walk away not just learning something — though you’ll definitely learn — but wanting to take action.

“What are you personally going to do?” Nan asks. “What are you personally going to do to move things forward?”

Lucinda Robb, one of Lady Bird Johnson’s granddaughters who serves on the advisory board, has been clear in steering committee meetings: She wants this to be a conference where the panels and breakout sessions lead to something tangible. You’re going to walk away wanting to forge that path forward.

A Vision for the Next 50 Years

When I asked Nan what she hopes will be different when someone looks back on the 100th anniversary of the 1975 conference, her answer was both humble and powerful.

She wants attendees of the 2025 conference to look back in 50 years and say, “I did my part. I made a difference. And there’s probably going to still be more to do in 50 years, and I am going to energize my children and their children to keep making this world a better place in all areas, whether it’s the environment or childcare or the workplace—to make a difference.”

That vision resonates with me deeply. We’re not just showing up for one day. We’re part of a continuum of women (and men!) who have been pushing for progress for generations—and who will continue that work long after we’re gone.

How to Attend

The Women in Public Life Symposium takes place on Friday, November 14, 2025 at the LBJ School’s Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium in Austin, Texas.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with coffee and breakfast, and the program kicks off at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided as part of your registration.

To register, visit: bit.ly/wipls2025-register.

If you’re coming to the symposium, mark your calendar for the evening of November 13 as well. At the LBJ School, Christy Carpenter is set to host a screening of “Shaking It Up: The Life And Times Of Liz Carpenter,” her documentary about her mother. You can pick up your registration materials that night, enjoy some food and drinks and get a deeper understanding of one of the remarkable women who made the 1975 conference possible.

And if you want to attend but can’t afford the registration fee, just let the organizers know. They’re committed to making sure that anyone who wants to be there can be there.

Honoring the Past, Forging the Future