AUSTIN, TEXAS (Sept. 9, 2025) — In 1975, Lady Bird Johnson and Liz Carpenter hosted the largest international women's conference in the United States at The University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs — the Women in Public Life Conference. To mark the 50th anniversary of this historic event, the LBJ Women's Campaign School will host the Women in Public Life Symposium: A Bipartisan Path Forward on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 at the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium in the LBJ Presidential Library at UT Austin.
The symposium will feature an opening keynote reflecting on the 1975 conference's legacy and progress since then, bipartisan panels addressing modern challenges in public policy and women's public leadership, and networking opportunities that connect alumni, mentors, elected officials and emerging leaders. Confirmed speakers include former U.S. Senator and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, former U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Texas State Rep. Caroline Harris Davila and Texas State Rep. Ellen Troxclair.
"The Women in Public Life Symposium builds on half a century of legacy pioneered by Lady Bird Johnson," said Amy Kroll, founder and executive director of the LBJ Women's Campaign School. "This is a critical moment to bring together voices from across sectors — elected officials, business leaders, community activists and students — to chart a bipartisan path forward for women's leadership. We hope the symposium sparks conversations that yield real, tangible results in representation, engagement and policy impact."
Supported by Southwest Airlines and the Texas Woman's University Jane Nelson Institute for Women's Leadership Center for Women in Government, the symposium is open to anyone interested in politics, civic engagement and policy leadership, including current and aspiring public servants, community advocates, students and anyone committed to advancing representation in government.
The LBJ Women's Campaign School is a nonpartisan, accessible training program that empowers change-makers — particularly women and those who are historically underrepresented — to lead campaigns and run for office. Through a hands-on, hybrid curriculum of in-person intensive training, virtual learning, mentorship and a competitive campaign plan challenge, participants gain the political know-how and confidence to enter the political arena.
Registration for the event is now open at: http://bit.ly/3JQoLyh
ABOUT THE LYNDON B. JOHNSON SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the nation's premier public policy schools, uniquely positioned within a top-tier research university, the state capital and one of America's most innovative cities. Founded in 1970 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to expand access to the halls of power, the school offers a range of nationally ranked degree programs that prepare students to take on society's most pressing challenges. The LBJ School also provides career development and leadership training to emerging policy leaders and operates numerous research centers that develop solutions to complex local, state, national and global challenges.
MEDIA CONTACT
LBJ Women's Campaign School
lbjwcs@austin.utexas.edu