In 1975, Lady Bird Johnson hosted the largest international women’s year conference at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, bringing over 2,000 attendees together including trailblazing speakers like U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan, Jill Ruckleshaus, and Gloria Steinem, the conference ignited a powerful conversation about women's leadership in public service. Fifty years later, the LBJ Women’s Campaign School brought leaders from across the country for the 50th Anniversary Women in Public Life Symposium: A Bipartisan Path Forward to honor the past and build on that legacy.
Attendees heard from an extraordinary lineup of speakers, including 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, Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Texas State Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, Texas State Rep. Ellen Troxclair and other influential public leaders.
The symposium served as more than a reflection on the past—it was a call to action. While women have made tremendous gains over the past 50 years, particularly in education and the workforce, representation in government has not kept pace. Through inspirational keynote speakers from both sides of the aisle, engaging panels with leading experts, and dynamic breakout discussions, attendees explored the challenges and opportunities facing women in public leadership. They left not just inspired, but equipped—with the tools, knowledge, and network to make an impact, whether by running for office, leading in their communities, or shaping policies that work for everyone.