Historical and Educational Programs
The Austin Woman's Club, established in 1929, is a women‑owned 501(c)(3) nonprofit centered on preserving Château Bellevue while empowering women and contributing to the broader public good through a broad range of preservation/education/cultural programs.
Below are some of the most recent programs that have been presented.
708 San Antonio St.
Austin, Texas 78701
512-472-1336
To book a tour, call 512-472-1336 or email office@chateauatx.com
Austin Woman's Club is a woman-owned 501(c)3 non-profit organized to support the historic Chateau Bellevue.
Recent 2026 Programs
Texas Capitol Mall —
History & Development
Chris Currens
Texas Preservation Board
April 2, 2026
Origins of Austin as the Capitol of Texas
The story begins in 1839, driven by Mirabeau Bonaparte Lamar, a bookish Georgian who deeply resented that the capitol of the Republic of Texas was named after his rival, Sam Houston. Lamar convinced Congress to pass a law directing commissioners to find a new capital site between the Trinity and Colorado Rivers, above the San Antonio Road. The new city was pre-named "Austin" by law, and the state purchased a league of land (~7,627 acres) for the site. The original city plan was ambitious — a grid with departments for State, Treasury, Land, Navy, War, Post Office, and a President's House — befitting Lamar's dream of an empire stretching to the California coast.
In reality, early Austin was little more than a ribbon of cabins on the north bank of the Colorado River. The President's House was so poorly built that Sam Houston refused to live in it.
Early Statehood
Houston, who despised Lamar, famously attempted to steal the state archives and move them back to Houston in 1842 — an event now commemorated by the Angelina Eberly statue. Over time, Austin developed more permanent infrastructure: a new Capitol building, a better executive mansion, and a fortified General Land Office to protect state land records.
Post–Civil War to Early 20th Century
Austin grew from ~1,000 residents to 15,000. When the second Capitol burned, plans were already underway for the current Capitol building. Originally designed in limestone, builders ran into quality issues and pivoted to granite from Marble Falls — traded in exchange for building a railroad to transport it. That railroad is now Metro Rail. The granite was cut on-site, pushed by a small tank engine up to 12th Street, and delivered via a trestle over Waller Creek. The neighborhood surrounding the future Capitol Mall was largely German, with landmarks like Scholz's Beer Garden, Gethsemane Church, and Covington House.
Mid-20th Century — The Wise Plan (1956)
By 1956, Austin had grown to 166,000 residents. The Harold F. Wise Associates plan (a California firm) proposed rerouting 12th Street, acquiring state-owned properties between 15th and 19th Streets (now MLK), and building a grand tree-lined esplanade connecting the University of Texas campus to the Capitol. Over the next three decades, the state acquired parts of 45 square blocks. Some elements were realized — the Sam Houston Building and Tom C. Clark Building were built — but the plan's full architectural vision was largely ignored.
State Preservation Board Master Plan (1983–1989)
After a Capitol fire, the State Preservation Board spent six years developing a plan that included the famous underground Capitol extension (twice the size of the above-ground building). As a follow-up, they proposed state office buildings in a federal style along a grand axis, with a setback of ~105 feet from the centerline of Congress Avenue. Again, full ambitions were not realized, and buildings constructed in the interim had no cohesive design logic.
21st Century — The Capitol Complex Master Plan (2016)
By 2012, Austin's population was 938,000 and growing explosively — doubling every 25 years since 1900. A key catalyst was Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and F1 racing, which brought C-suite executives to Austin who saw its educated workforce, low land prices, and low wages — and began relocating companies here. Austin leapfrogged from a regional city
With state employees spread across Class B suburban office parks at ~$18/sq ft (soon to skyrocket), the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) partnered with the State Preservation Board under a legislative mandate to execute the 2016 Capitol Complex Master Plan. Key elements:
- Six new office buildings
- 4,500-space underground parking built in phases
- Evaluation of all existing complex buildings for renovation or replacement
Phase 1
George H.W. Bush Building — 680,000 sq ft, 5 stories of parking underneath, designed in an H-shape to maximize natural light for all occupants. Houses the Department of Public Safety (moved from the old American Legion Building).
Barbara Jordan Building — includes 3 age-appropriate childcare facilities with playgrounds and covered drop-off for state employees.
Phase 2 (currently under construction)
A 4-story building at 100 W. 15th Street, largely for Attorney General staff currently scattered across suburban Austin. Set back from the street to avoid a "canyon effect" and to honor the historic garden district (Yosemite Church, Luther Hall, Covington House, Elms apartments).
A greenway transition connects the mall past historic properties to the new building.
Excavation reached over 70 feet deep, enabled by Austin's 400-foot limestone shelf.
Phase 3
Two additional buildings planned but unlikely in the near future — COVID-era construction cost increases and the viability of remote work have reduced the projected space needs.
The Capitol Mall Today
The completed mall features:
- 4 state office buildings with nearly 1.5 million sq ft of office space
- ~4,000–4,500 parking spaces
- A 4-block pedestrian mall already drawing lunch crowds, school groups, and community events
- Coordination with Waterloo Greenway/Park for events and shared parking
Total cost so far: approximately $1.5 billion.
Fun Historical Footnote — How the Capitol Was Funded
The State of Texas was essentially broke in 1881. The solution: trade 3 million acres of Panhandle land to a Chicago syndicate, which in turn had to finance and build the Capitol.
The syndicate sold the land to British investors (men of means seeking adventure in the American West), who established the famous XIT Ranch. The prospectus noted that "east of town by 5 miles is an almost endless supply of high-quality sands and gravels" — the same gravel pits visible off Highway 183 today, still being mined.
"Celebrating Our 250th in Great American Images"
Karen Pope
Austin Woman’s Club
March 19, 2026
Presenter: Dr. Karen Pope, retired professor of art history Baylor University specializing in 19th-century European and American art.
Overview: The presentation offers a visual journey through iconic American artworks — paintings, sculptures, and photographs — that commemorate the founding and history of the United States, framed around the U.S. 250th anniversary.
Portraits of George Washington
Charles Willson Peale's Portraits
Peale painted 60 portraits of Washington, having trained in London and served in the Continental Army, giving him direct access to Washington. Key works include:
Washington at Princeton and Washington at Trenton — nearly identical compositions showing Washington leaning on a cannon, symbolizing the decisive role of artillery in those victories. Nassau Hall appears on the horizon in the Princeton version.
Washington at Yorktown — a closer view with the cannon again, and water in the background referencing the Chesapeake Bay. Peale lowered the horizon line further here to make Washington appear even more imposing and grand.
Houdon's Life Mask and Sculpture
Thomas Jefferson, while in France, commissioned the renowned French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon to create a definitive portrait of Washington. Houdon insisted on seeing Washington in person, traveled to Mount Vernon, and created a plaster life mask by greasing Washington's face, inserting quills in his nostrils for breathing, and applying plaster. This mask — still held at Mount Vernon — is considered the most accurate record of Washington's appearance. From it, Houdon produced:
A marble bust, also at Mount Vernon.
A full-length marble statue now in the Virginia State House, which became the model for approximately 30 bronze casts. The statue's support incorporates the fasces — a Roman military symbol of bundled rods with an axe and a laurel wreath — representing strength, unity, and victory, imagery beloved by the Founding Fathers.
Gilbert Stuart's Lansdowne Portrait
Stuart was recommended by Senator Bingham to paint Washington for the British Lord Lansdowne. The result is a monumental 96-inch (life-size) canvas filled with symbolic detail:
Books labeled American Revolution and Constitution of the United States (the latter intentionally missing letters, believed to be Stuart's way of distinguishing copies).
The fasces, an imperial eagle, writing implements (referencing Washington's role as statesman), and a chair with an oval plaque ornamented with Stars and Stripes, which some historians link to the Washington Family Crest — the configuration that forms the current flag of Washington, D.C.
Multiple copies were made; the original Lansdowne portrait is now in the National Portrait Gallery, acquired through a fundraising campaign. The Binghams' copy belongs to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
Commemorative History Paintings
John Trumbull's Rotunda Paintings
Trumbull spent nearly 20 years in Europe before receiving a commission to paint large-scale historical scenes for the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, designed by architect Charles Bulfinch. The rotunda holds eight paintings total. Key works include four large canvases by Trumbull, and four painted later by other artists. Trumbull’s subjects:
The Declaration of Independence — features over 60 portraits, depicting the moment the first two signers (Charles Thomson and John Hancock) lift their pens. The authors — Adams, Sherman, Livingston, Jefferson, and Franklin — are prominently grouped. Flags in the background, including what appears to be the flag of St. George and Union Jack variants, are interpreted as trophy symbols of America's defeat of Britain.
The Surrender of General Burgoyne
The Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown
Washington Resigning His Commission
Emmanuel Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware (1850)
Commissioned by French art dealer Goupil, this massive painting (13 feet tall, now the largest painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) depicts the famous Christmas night crossing of 2,400 men in 1776. Notable details:
Approximately 12 men in the boat with Washington — symbolically echoing Christ and his disciples.
A Black soldier in the boat, acknowledging Washington's recruitment of Black men.
James Monroe holding the flag (he was gravely wounded shortly after).
Known inaccuracies: the Delaware River freezes smoothly, not in large ice chunks as depicted (Leutze likely referenced European rivers); there was only one boat at a time; no horses crossed; and the crossing happened in darkness, not at dawn.
The direction of travel is eastward — toward the rising sun — a deliberate symbol of new beginnings and hope.
The painting's ornate frame (recreated around 2010 based on Matthew Brady's 1864 photograph) features flags, spears, the imperial eagle, and Stars and Stripes motifs.
Sculpture
Horatio Greenough's George Washington (1840)
A controversial neoclassical marble statue depicting Washington bare-chested and barefooted, seated on a throne with Roman chariot iconography — deliberately evoking Greek and Roman antiquity, as the Founding Fathers were deeply steeped in classical literature. It was widely found amusing. After spending time outdoors on the Capitol grounds, it was eventually moved inside and now resides in the Smithsonian.
Daniel Chester French's The Minuteman (1875)
One of French's early major works (his most famous being the Lincoln Memorial's seated Lincoln, 1922). The bronze figure of a Minuteman — a farmer-soldier — captures the essence of the Continental Army:
Classical ponderation pose (weight on one leg, hip cocked, head tilted) conveys movement and vitality.
A plow at his side symbolizes the farmer-soldiers who left their fields to fight.
The concept was replicated in multiple locations by other sculptors.
French’s figure is an example of post-Civil War American enthusiasm for bronze sculpture, and followed by decades the first Concord monument, an obelisk (dedicated in 1836) complemented by Emerson's Concord Hymn, commemorating the first shots of the Revolution.
The Statue of Liberty
Originally conceived as a lighthouse for the Suez Canal, the project was rejected by Egypt as too costly. Its creators then redirected it to honor the U.S. centennial — arriving 10 years late in 1886. Key facts:
Sculptor: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Steel skeleton engineer: Gustave Eiffel (his precursor work to the Eiffel Tower, completed 1889)
To raise funds for the pedestal, Bartholdi sent the torch alone to the 1876 Centennial Fair in Philadelphia to generate interest and demonstrate scale.
A rivalry between Philadelphia and New York over hosting the statue ultimately secured American financing of the pedestal and the figure’s placement in New York Harbor.
A satirical cartoon of the era depicted the statue sinking into an unfinished pedestal.
Mount Rushmore
Inspired by Stone Mountain, Georgia, the project was championed by South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson, who wanted to depict national (not just military) figures. Charles Rushmore, a New York businessman, donated $5,000 to launch it — lending the mountain his name. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum (previously associated with Stone Mountain) was hired and began work, but died in 1941 before completion. His son continued but funding ran out, leaving the figures’ shoulders unfinished (only Washington's lapel was carved in detail). The four presidents represent four American ideals: birth, growth, preservation, and development.
20th-Century American Images
Grant Wood's Daughters of Revolution (1932)
Wood painted three DAR members with teacups, with a small reproduction of Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware visible on the wall behind them — a deliberate satirical jab. Wood had been criticized by the DAR for ordering stained glass from Germany (between the wars), while they celebrated a painting also made by a German. He called it his only satirical work.
Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter (1943)
Rockwell depicted Mary Keefe (a 19-year-old telephone operator) as Rosie — a pneumatic riveter on her lunch break, sandwich in hand, tools on her lap, self-possessed and confident. Her feet rest on a copy of Mein Kampf. The pose is deliberately borrowed from a Michelangelo prophet on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, ennobling Rosie the same way classical imagery ennobled Washington — a tongue-in-cheek academic gesture. It appeared as a Saturday Evening Post cover and the next year the title character in a film.
"We Can Do It!" Poster (J. Howard Miller, c. 1943)
A common misconception clarified: this iconic poster — created by J. Howard Miller for Westinghouse as an internal factory motivational poster — is not Rosie the Riveter. It was displayed for only two weeks and went largely unnoticed until rediscovered in the 1980s.
Joe Rosenthal's Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima (1945)
Captured by a photojournalist during the brutal assault on Mount Suribachi, this photograph depicts six servicemen raising the flag — though most photographs only show four clearly. The identities of all six were not fully confirmed until 2019; three died shortly after the photo was taken and two had been previously misidentified. It became one of the great symbols of American military valor and was immortalized as a bronze monument at Arlington National Cemetery (1954).
Closing: Dr. Pope concluded by inviting attendees to a May event in Austin — A Night for Our Nation — honoring military veterans and featuring a decorated 38-year career Air Force Lieutenant General who served as second-in-command of communications during the Bin Laden raid.
"Don't Mess with Texas" - Click Image for Video
"I am an American" - Click Image for Video
"Starting Careers in High School" - Click Image for Video
Roy Spence — The Make It Movement
Austin Woman's Club, March 12, 2026
The Austin Woman's Club was founded in 1928 with the idea of giving women opportunities to make a difference. And when you make a difference, you know what happens — you make a difference in your own life, too.
I discovered that I don't know everything, but I've learned a lot.
That's the power of purpose.
Roy Spence, The Make it Movement
THE POWER OF PURPOSE
I was lucky. I grew up in Brownwood, Texas, and I never forgot where I came from. Here are a couple of stories about my journey and purpose.
My Sister Susan
I got lucky early in life. My oldest sister was four years older than me, born in the '40s. Her name was Susan Spence. She was born with spina bifida — a birth defect they had no cure for — where all the nerves that should go to your legs ball up and create open wounds on your back. The average life expectancy back then was four hours, four days, or four months, maybe. My sister Susan lived to be 49 years old. Because of my mother.
I used to help take her to the bathroom and pushed her wheelchair to school every day for eight years. We looked a little like the Grapes of Wrath — all my little friends would come along with us. We grew up in a town where you could walk to your high school, junior high, and grade school, and I pushed her every single day. She graduated from high school and went on to Gonzales Junior College.
Every Sunday in the fall, I'd drive down there and we'd listen to the Dallas Cowboys — back when they used to win — and eat Whataburgers. When she passed away, I was at her bedside. What I learned in that moment is that all those years I thought I had been pushing her... she had been pushing me.
That's when I got on the journey of purpose. She used to always tell me, "You don't have to have legs to fly."
My Father, Roy Spence, Sr.
My dad grew up in Eagle Pass. He spoke Spanish before English. He dropped out of school in the 10th grade to go to work during the Depression, served in the Navy, and then married my mom.
The two things I remember most: First, he believed in hugs. He said, "When you have a boy, boys need hugs too." When he passed away, I was flying to Germany. He passed away two days before so I wrote a book on the plane ride in his honor called The 10 Essential Hugs of Life. Here are some of them:
1. Hug yourself — don't fall in love with yourself, but you can't love your neighbor unless you love yourself.
2. Hug your family — as George Burns used to say, "There's nothing like a large, beautiful family... in another town."
3. Hug your friends.
4. Hug your purpose.
The second thing he taught me: Don't do mild in food or in life. He made the most incredible salsa — Serranos, fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, and sea salt. And it’s called ROYITOS.
My Mother, Ruth
My mom was a teacher for 35 years. She taught civics. She believed we need to meet people in the middle — that nobody has the corner on smarts, and we're better together.
But here's the story that really changed my life. I was in seventh grade. I turned in a paper on Emerson — still my favorite. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." I got my paper back with eight misspelled words and a big C-minus. In our little home in Brownwood, C-minuses were not cause for celebration.
The next year I was studying Emerson again and said, "Mom, I can't do it." She said, "Do the best you can." I turned it in. This time I didn't have eight misspelled words — I had eleven. Two pages covered in red ink. But at the top of the paper was a tiny A-minus. I still have that paper.
When I asked her why, she said she had talked to my teacher, who believed I could write. Then my mother said something I've never forgotten:
"I don't want you to spend another second of your life trying to be average at what you're bad at. I want you to spend the rest of your life trying to be great at what you're good at."
That's why I started a movement. We have to change the way America lets kids discover what they're great at.
THE JOURNEY
UT Austin and GSD&M
I was offered a chance to play football to the Naval Academy because I played quarterback in Brownwood Texas, But I told my mama I wanted to go to a school and see if I could wake up in the morning by myself. She said, "You have to go your own way" — which is why, if you call my phone, it plays Fleetwood Mac.
I went to UT Austin and, I'll confess, didn't always go to class. But I walked down the mall and met two people, and we started doing multimedia shows — it was the Marshall McLuhan age. Kids would pay us 50 cents. (I'll confess what for — but you can't put it in the film.)
When I was 20, three of us — all from different places — decided to open an advertising agency. I said, "Great, what's that?"
We went down to City National Bank. I had a tie-dyed T-shirt, my ponytail was looking awesome. I sat down with loan officer and asked for $5,000. He said, "What's your business plan?" Our answer — still on our wall 52 years later:
"We want to stay in Austin, stay together, make a difference, and get rich."
We got the loan. And we paid it back. It just took some time.
About 20 years ago, I was at an event and someone said, "See that older man over there with a cane? That's Robert Sneed Remember the $5,000 you borrowed from City National Bank? He co-signed that note. He never told you because he wanted you to think you got it on your own."
Lesson: Someone helps you — you help somebody else.
We started GSD&M, and it doesn't stand for what you might think — though you'll never forget what people say it stands for. We had four partners and stayed together for 52 years.
My mom taught me there are two kinds of people in the world: vinegar people and honey people. Vinegar people are takers. Honey people are givers. Hang out with honey people.
Don't Mess with Texas
Willie Nelson - Don't Mess With Texas
Our first big break came when we were hired to do the media for Governor Mark White. He said there was litter all over Texas highways. My partner Tim McClure and I were walking down a highway and he picked up a piece of litter. He wrote three words: Don't Mess with Texas.
A week later, we pitched it to the Texas Highway Department. Average age in the room: about 100. Our first presentation featured Stevie Ray Vaughan performing "Don't Mess with Texas." We finished our presentation. Not one clap. Not one.
Then an old boy in the back stood up and said, "Young man, I don't get it." I said, "Good. It's gonna work." Then the room started laughing — and then they were with us.
Another man stood up and said, "You need to put a litter barrel on the bumper sticker so people know what it's about." I said, "You can put the litter barrel on the bumper sticker, and the bumper sticker will end up in storage. Or you can leave it off, and it'll be on every pickup truck in Texas." We shook hands.
Marketing can be a force for good. We reduced litter in Texas by 72% in four years. No fines. The last ad we filmed featured the "Long Riders." They rode their Harleys down the highway, picked up trash, and the big guy with a "Don't Mess with Texas" tattoo looked at the camera and said: "Some people just don't get it."
That's how we laddered up from litter to pride.
Southwest Airlines and Sam Walton
When Herb Kelleher called me in, I was 28 years old. I told him, "Herb, I don't think you're in the airline business." He said, "What the hell business am I in?" I said, "You're in the freedom business. You set out to democratize the skies."
Sam Walton called me down to Bentonville. I drove there with a briefcase — with nothing in it. Sam looked at me and said, "Where's the rest of your staff?" I said, "Mr. Sam, there's an old saying in Texas: one riot, one ranger. What kind of problem have you got?" He fell out of his chair laughing and put his arm around me. He said, "Oh, Roy — you're alright."
9/11 and "I Am an American"
Then 9/11 happened. I was in Washington, D.C. and the 9/11 bombings happened. On the drive home, I kept saying to myself: "We have to do something."
I called my team together and said, "Go out and film people — all kinds of people, all over the country. Ask them to say one thing: 'I am an American.'"
In eight days, we got it on the air. It ran more than any PSA in the history of America.
My mom taught me civics — not just history. She talked about E Pluribus Unum: out of many, one. That was the first motto of America. That's when we knew: marketing can be a force for good.
THE MAKE IT MOVEMENT
In 2019, I was speaking all over the country about the power of purpose. My friend Aristotle said it best — 3,000 years ago:
"Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation". Aristotle
I started asking: what if we helped kids find their talents first, instead of beating them up about the things they're bad at? I couldn't spell. That didn't stop me.
I went to associations, labor unions, chambers of commerce — it didn't matter what politics people were coming from. We have a massive supply-and-demand problem in America: a great supply of jobs and careers, and not enough demand for them. Since World War II, we've never had this many open skilled trades jobs. We have a marketing problem.
Young people don't realize these aren't just jobs anymore — they're careers. You can start training as a welder while you're still in high school. You can take college classes for free. When you graduate, you don't just have a diploma — you have a certificate for a skilled position that pays real money.
That's why I started the Make It Movement. We go into high schools and middle schools, and we ask: what are you good at? What do you love? America was born on the ideal that if you can dream it, you can build it.
A Pew Research study — and these things don't lie — found that 98% of all parents, regardless of politics, want their kids to grow up and become financially independent doing something they enjoy. That's the anchor of the Make It Movement. Stop asking kids if they're going to college. Start asking them if they want to become financially independent.
Starting Careers in High School
Wendy and Camyle's Career Journey: Starting WHILE You're in High School
We surveyed high school students around America. Before our presentation, 28% of boys and 19% of girls said they'd like to know more about skilled professions near their homes. After our presentation: 78% of the girls said, "I want to know more." They said: "Wait — I can build things?"
The concept is simple: you can't bring people together on politics. But you can bring people together on purpose — intentionally, and through the power of purpose.
That's what I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing. And I'm grateful you let me come here and tell you about it.
One more thing. About 20 years ago, I traveled across Texas — and eventually walked through 13 states — asking people about their faith. I had a Winnebago and asked everyone: what do you believe in?
What I found is that every religion in the world has its own version of the Golden Rule. That's when I realized: we need Golden Rule Summits — not politics, not religion, just the one thing we all agree on. We're better together.
God bless — and don't mess. Roy Spence
Marc Dochen - Austin City Council Member
City of Austin Council Member Marc Duchen (District 10) - Wildfire Risk in Austin
On February 19, 2026, City of Austin Council Member Marc Duchen (District 10) spoke to the Austin Woman’s Club on Austin’s significant wildfire risks, how to protect life and property, important public online resources.
While significant city and community progress was made in 2025, there is still much to be done and learned from other wildfire disasters around the country.
Suggest you listen while reading this summary to Michael Murphrey’s “Wildfire”.
Wildfire Risk in Austin
National Ranking: Austin is currently the 5th-most wildfire-prone city in the United States.
Risk Factors: High risk is driven by extreme drought, heat, rapid population growth, and the city’s topography and vegetation.
Geographic Vulnerability: While West Austin’s hill country is often viewed as the primary risk area due to steep terrain and dense fuel, East Austin actually sees a higher frequency of fire starts. However, fires in flatter areas like East Austin are generally easier to contain than those in the hills.
Dormant Hazards: Significant amounts of dead vegetation from recent ice storms still remain in green spaces and yards, providing ample fuel for potential wildfires.
Recent Policy Updates and "Policy Wins" 2025
WUI Code Updates: The City Council unanimously updated the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
New Regulations: These updates mandate fire-resistant building materials and required escape routes for new developments in high-risk areas.
Ember Ignition Zone: Structures are now required to maintain a noncombustible zone within five feet of the building to prevent embers from igniting the home.
Interagency Collaboration: Enhanced coordination now exists between the Austin Fire Department, Austin Energy, and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management team.
Community Action and Homeowner Resources
Cleanup Programs: A pilot program involving city staff and volunteers removed 3,000 pounds of dead brush from Great Hills Park last May.
Structure Ignition Zone Evaluation (SIZE): Homeowners can request a free evaluation from the fire department to identify specific vulnerabilities on their property.
Emergency Alerts: Residents are encouraged to sign up for notifications at WarnCentralTexas.org.
Educational Hubs: Preparation guides are available at ReadyCentralTexas.org, and the Austin Wildfire Hub provides risk assessments and "home hardening" tips.
Q&A Summary
The following questions and concerns were addressed by Council Member Duchen during the session:
- Utility Resiliency and Infrastructure: In response to concerns about past fires caused by poorly maintained utility lines, Duchen noted that Austin Energy launched a major resiliency plan in December 2025. The plan commits approximately $34 million annually over the next 10 years to enhance the system, including studies on burying power lines and using drones for more effective vegetation management.
- Advanced Detection Technology: The city has deployed Pano AI, a specialized fire and smoke detection system, to provide early warnings that were not available during previous major fire events.
- Insurance Vulnerabilities: A significant concern was raised regarding residents becoming "stealth uninsured"—where insurance companies use drone surveillance to deny policy renewals based on property conditions.
- Advocating with the Insurance Industry: Duchen stated his hope that the implementation of the updated CWPP and WUI code will provide a framework to show insurance companies that the city and its residents are meeting strict compliance standards. He intends to use these official code updates to encourage the insurance industry to stop aggressively un-insuring community members who have hardened their homes against fire.
Kim Barker, Preservation Planner - UT Austin The Ghost in the Granite: Restoring the Soul of the Forty Acres
February 5, 2026 AWC
You’ve seen it: the UT Tower rising above the city like a limestone lighthouse. Okay, it used to be … before all of the skyscrapers emerged in the last 30 years. You can still make out our beloved UT Tower on the skyline and be proud. “Raise your horns!”
For nearly a century, the UT Tower has symbolized ambition, learning, and Texas pride—but up close, time has left its mark in peeling paint, grime, and well-intended but clumsy fixes.
At the Austin Woman’s Club on February 5, Kim Barker, UT’s first-ever preservation planner, shared how her team is bringing the Tower and other beloved campus buildings back to life—carefully, respectfully, and with a detective’s eye for detail.
Breathing new life into the Tower
The star of this effort is a $70 million restoration of the Main Building and Tower, the first major investment in the structure since it opened in 1937. Barker describes her role as an historical sleuth. By digging through archives and poring over 1935 construction photographs, her team discovered details long erased from public memory: a hidden balustrade buried under stucco and the fact that the Tower’s spandrels were originally painted in two tones.
One of the most dazzling changes is the return of the gold. Crews are regilding the clock face and the “alphabet letters”—symbols drawn from Egyptian, Phoenician, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin—that encircle the lower sections of the Tower, restoring the shimmer that early Longhorns would have known well.
Battle Hall: the “prettiest building on campus”
Barker’s work doesn’t stop at the Tower. She has a special affection for Battle Hall, the red-tiled gem she calls the “prettiest building on campus.” Built in 1911 as UT’s first purpose-built library, Battle Hall has weathered a century of changing needs, including mid-century renovations that literally “chopped off” vaulted plaster ceilings to wedge in air conditioning ducts.
Today, the restoration team is squishing modern utilities into tucked-away spaces so they can reopen the original 1911 corridors and reading rooms. At the same time, they are adding the building’s first passenger elevator, finally making the iconic second-floor reading room accessible to all.
Gearing Hall: where function meets history
The same preservation mindset is at work at Gearing Hall, the 1932 home of UT’s original Home Economics program. Here, Barker’s team is sourcing clay roofing tiles from the building’s original manufacturer and restoring weather-beaten windows so they look as they did in the 1930s.
Even the doors tell a story. They’ve been rebuilt to match their original weight and wood species, but with discreet glass panels added to improve safety for today’s students—a small change that shows how historic character and modern function can coexist.
Why this work matters
For Barker, preservation is not about freezing buildings in time; it is about protecting their significance and integrity so they can keep speaking to new generations. By cleaning stone, regilding details, and uncovering long-hidden craftsmanship, UT is doing more than repairing old structures—it is restoring the physical heart of the campus so its stories can continue to resonate with future Longhorns, and with all of us who care about Austin’s history.
Past Programs
March 12, 2026, Roy Spence — The Make It Movement
The Austin Woman's Club was founded in 1928 with the idea of giving women opportunities to make a difference. And when you make a difference, you know what happens — you make a difference in your own life, too.
I discovered that I don't know everything, but I've learned a lot.
That's the power of purpose.
Roy Spence, The Make it Movement
THE POWER OF PURPOSE
I was lucky. I grew up in Brownwood, Texas, and I never forgot where I came from. Here are a couple of stories about my journey and purpose.
My Sister Susan
I got lucky early in life. My oldest sister was four years older than me, born in the '40s. Her name was Susan Spence. She was born with spina bifida — a birth defect they had no cure for — where all the nerves that should go to your legs ball up and create open wounds on your back. The average life expectancy back then was four hours, four days, or four months, maybe. My sister Susan lived to be 49 years old. Because of my mother.
I used to help take her to the bathroom and pushed her wheelchair to school every day for eight years. We looked a little like the Grapes of Wrath — all my little friends would come along with us. We grew up in a town where you could walk to your high school, junior high, and grade school, and I pushed her every single day. She graduated from high school and went on to Gonzales Junior College.
Every Sunday in the fall, I'd drive down there and we'd listen to the Dallas Cowboys — back when they used to win — and eat Whataburgers. When she passed away, I was at her bedside. What I learned in that moment is that all those years I thought I had been pushing her... she had been pushing me.
That's when I got on the journey of purpose. She used to always tell me, "You don't have to have legs to fly."
My Father, Roy Spence, Sr.
My dad grew up in Eagle Pass. He spoke Spanish before English. He dropped out of school in the 10th grade to go to work during the Depression, served in the Navy, and then married my mom.
The two things I remember most: First, he believed in hugs. He said, "When you have a boy, boys need hugs too." When he passed away, I was flying to Germany. He passed away two days before so I wrote a book on the plane ride in his honor called The 10 Essential Hugs of Life. Here are some of them:
1. Hug yourself — don't fall in love with yourself, but you can't love your neighbor unless you love yourself.
2. Hug your family — as George Burns used to say, "There's nothing like a large, beautiful family... in another town."
3. Hug your friends.
4. Hug your purpose.
The second thing he taught me: Don't do mild in food or in life. He made the most incredible salsa — Serranos, fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, and sea salt. And it’s called ROYITOS.
My Mother, Ruth
My mom was a teacher for 35 years. She taught civics. She believed we need to meet people in the middle — that nobody has the corner on smarts, and we're better together.
But here's the story that really changed my life. I was in seventh grade. I turned in a paper on Emerson — still my favorite. "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." I got my paper back with eight misspelled words and a big C-minus. In our little home in Brownwood, C-minuses were not cause for celebration.
The next year I was studying Emerson again and said, "Mom, I can't do it." She said, "Do the best you can." I turned it in. This time I didn't have eight misspelled words — I had eleven. Two pages covered in red ink. But at the top of the paper was a tiny A-minus. I still have that paper.
When I asked her why, she said she had talked to my teacher, who believed I could write. Then my mother said something I've never forgotten:
"I don't want you to spend another second of your life trying to be average at what you're bad at. I want you to spend the rest of your life trying to be great at what you're good at."
That's why I started a movement. We have to change the way America lets kids discover what they're great at.
THE JOURNEY
UT Austin and GSD&M
I was offered a chance to play football to the Naval Academy because I played quarterback in Brownwood Texas, But I told my mama I wanted to go to a school and see if I could wake up in the morning by myself. She said, "You have to go your own way" — which is why, if you call my phone, it plays Fleetwood Mac.
I went to UT Austin and, I'll confess, didn't always go to class. But I walked down the mall and met two people, and we started doing multimedia shows — it was the Marshall McLuhan age. Kids would pay us 50 cents. (I'll confess what for — but you can't put it in the film.)
When I was 20, three of us — all from different places — decided to open an advertising agency. I said, "Great, what's that?"
We went down to City National Bank. I had a tie-dyed T-shirt, my ponytail was looking awesome. I sat down with loan officer and asked for $5,000. He said, "What's your business plan?" Our answer — still on our wall 52 years later:
"We want to stay in Austin, stay together, make a difference, and get rich."
We got the loan. And we paid it back. It just took some time.
About 20 years ago, I was at an event and someone said, "See that older man over there with a cane? That's Robert Sneed Remember the $5,000 you borrowed from City National Bank? He co-signed that note. He never told you because he wanted you to think you got it on your own."
Lesson: Someone helps you — you help somebody else.
We started GSD&M, and it doesn't stand for what you might think — though you'll never forget what people say it stands for. We had four partners and stayed together for 52 years.
My mom taught me there are two kinds of people in the world: vinegar people and honey people. Vinegar people are takers. Honey people are givers. Hang out with honey people.
Don't Mess with Texas
Our first big break came when we were hired to do the media for Governor Mark White. He said there was litter all over Texas highways. My partner Tim McClure and I were walking down a highway and he picked up a piece of litter. He wrote three words: Don't Mess with Texas.
A week later, we pitched it to the Texas Highway Department. Average age in the room: about 100. Our first presentation featured Stevie Ray Vaughan performing "Don't Mess with Texas." We finished our presentation. Not one clap. Not one.
Then an old boy in the back stood up and said, "Young man, I don't get it." I said, "Good. It's gonna work." Then the room started laughing — and then they were with us.
Another man stood up and said, "You need to put a litter barrel on the bumper sticker so people know what it's about." I said, "You can put the litter barrel on the bumper sticker, and the bumper sticker will end up in storage. Or you can leave it off, and it'll be on every pickup truck in Texas." We shook hands.
Click here to see the Willie Nelson ad
Marketing can be a force for good. We reduced litter in Texas by 72% in four years. No fines. The last ad we filmed featured the "Long Riders." They rode their Harleys down the highway, picked up trash, and the big guy with a "Don't Mess with Texas" tattoo looked at the camera and said: "Some people just don't get it."
That's how we laddered up from litter to pride.
Southwest Airlines and Sam Walton
When Herb Kelleher called me in, I was 28 years old. I told him, "Herb, I don't think you're in the airline business." He said, "What the hell business am I in?" I said, "You're in the freedom business. You set out to democratize the skies."
Sam Walton called me down to Bentonville. I drove there with a briefcase — with nothing in it. Sam looked at me and said, "Where's the rest of your staff?" I said, "Mr. Sam, there's an old saying in Texas: one riot, one ranger. What kind of problem have you got?" He fell out of his chair laughing and put his arm around me. He said, "Oh, Roy — you're alright."
9/11 and "I Am an American"
Then 9/11 happened. I was in Washington, D.C. and the 9/11 bombings happened. On the drive home, I kept saying to myself: "We have to do something."
I called my team together and said, "Go out and film people — all kinds of people, all over the country. Ask them to say one thing: 'I am an American.'"
In eight days, we got it on the air. It ran more than any PSA in the history of America.
My mom taught me civics — not just history. She talked about E Pluribus Unum: out of many, one. That was the first motto of America. That's when we knew: marketing can be a force for good.
Click here for I am an American Ad
THE MAKE IT MOVEMENT
In 2019, I was speaking all over the country about the power of purpose. My friend Aristotle said it best — 3,000 years ago:
"Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation". Aristotle
I started asking: what if we helped kids find their talents first, instead of beating them up about the things they're bad at? I couldn't spell. That didn't stop me.
I went to associations, labor unions, chambers of commerce — it didn't matter what politics people were coming from. We have a massive supply-and-demand problem in America: a great supply of jobs and careers, and not enough demand for them. Since World War II, we've never had this many open skilled trades jobs. We have a marketing problem.
Young people don't realize these aren't just jobs anymore — they're careers. You can start training as a welder while you're still in high school. You can take college classes for free. When you graduate, you don't just have a diploma — you have a certificate for a skilled position that pays real money.
That's why I started the Make It Movement. We go into high schools and middle schools, and we ask: what are you good at? What do you love? America was born on the ideal that if you can dream it, you can build it.
A Pew Research study — and these things don't lie — found that 98% of all parents, regardless of politics, want their kids to grow up and become financially independent doing something they enjoy. That's the anchor of the Make It Movement. Stop asking kids if they're going to college. Start asking them if they want to become financially independent.
Starting Careers in High School
We surveyed high school students around America. Before our presentation, 28% of boys and 19% of girls said they'd like to know more about skilled professions near their homes. After our presentation: 78% of the girls said, "I want to know more." They said: "Wait — I can build things?"
The concept is simple: you can't bring people together on politics. But you can bring people together on purpose — intentionally, and through the power of purpose.
Click here to see the Starting in HIgh School Ad
That's what I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing. And I'm grateful you let me come here and tell you about it.
One more thing. About 20 years ago, I traveled across Texas — and eventually walked through 13 states — asking people about their faith. I had a Winnebago and asked everyone: what do you believe in?
What I found is that every religion in the world has its own version of the Golden Rule. That's when I realized: we need Golden Rule Summits — not politics, not religion, just the one thing we all agree on. We're better together.
God bless — and don't mess. Roy Spence
February 19, 2026, City of Austin Council Member Marc Duchen (District 10) - Wildfire Risk in Austin
On February 19, 2026, City of Austin Council Member Marc Duchen (District 10) spoke to the Austin Woman’s Club on Austin’s significant wildfire risks, how to protect life and property, important public online resources.
While significant city and community progress was made in 2025, there is still much to be done and learned from other wildfire disasters around the country.
Suggest you listen while reading this summary to Michael Murphrey’s “Wildfire”.
Wildfire Risk in Austin
National Ranking: Austin is currently the 5th-most wildfire-prone city in the United States.
Risk Factors: High risk is driven by extreme drought, heat, rapid population growth, and the city’s topography and vegetation.
Geographic Vulnerability: While West Austin’s hill country is often viewed as the primary risk area due to steep terrain and dense fuel, East Austin actually sees a higher frequency of fire starts. However, fires in flatter areas like East Austin are generally easier to contain than those in the hills.
Dormant Hazards: Significant amounts of dead vegetation from recent ice storms still remain in green spaces and yards, providing ample fuel for potential wildfires.
Recent Policy Updates and "Policy Wins" 2025
WUI Code Updates: The City Council unanimously updated the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code and the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP).
New Regulations: These updates mandate fire-resistant building materials and required escape routes for new developments in high-risk areas.
Ember Ignition Zone: Structures are now required to maintain a noncombustible zone within five feet of the building to prevent embers from igniting the home.
Interagency Collaboration: Enhanced coordination now exists between the Austin Fire Department, Austin Energy, and the Homeland Security and Emergency Management team.
Community Action and Homeowner Resources
Cleanup Programs: A pilot program involving city staff and volunteers removed 3,000 pounds of dead brush from Great Hills Park last May.
Structure Ignition Zone Evaluation (SIZE): Homeowners can request a free evaluation from the fire department to identify specific vulnerabilities on their property.
Emergency Alerts: Residents are encouraged to sign up for notifications at WarnCentralTexas.org.
Educational Hubs: Preparation guides are available at ReadyCentralTexas.org, and the Austin Wildfire Hub provides risk assessments and "home hardening" tips.
Q&A Summary
The following questions and concerns were addressed by Council Member Duchen during the session:
- Utility Resiliency and Infrastructure: In response to concerns about past fires caused by poorly maintained utility lines, Duchen noted that Austin Energy launched a major resiliency plan in December 2025. The plan commits approximately $34 million annually over the next 10 years to enhance the system, including studies on burying power lines and using drones for more effective vegetation management.
- Advanced Detection Technology: The city has deployed Pano AI, a specialized fire and smoke detection system, to provide early warnings that were not available during previous major fire events.
- Insurance Vulnerabilities: A significant concern was raised regarding residents becoming "stealth uninsured"—where insurance companies use drone surveillance to deny policy renewals based on property conditions.
- Advocating with the Insurance Industry: Duchen stated his hope that the implementation of the updated CWPP and WUI code will provide a framework to show insurance companies that the city and its residents are meeting strict compliance standards. He intends to use these official code updates to encourage the insurance industry to stop aggressively un-insuring community members who have hardened their homes against fire.
- Utility Resiliency and Infrastructure: In response to concerns about past fires caused by poorly maintained utility lines, Duchen noted that Austin Energy launched a major resiliency plan in December 2025. The plan commits approximately $34 million annually over the next 10 years to enhance the system, including studies on burying power lines and using drones for more effective vegetation management.
February 5, 2026 AWC Luncheon with Kim Barker, Preservation Planner - UT Austin The Ghost in the Granite: Restoring the Soul of the Forty Acres
You’ve seen it: the UT Tower rising above the city like a limestone lighthouse. Okay, it used to be … before all of the skyscrapers emerged in the last 30 years. You can still make out our beloved UT Tower on the skyline and be proud. “Raise your horns!”
For nearly a century, the UT Tower has symbolized ambition, learning, and Texas pride—but up close, time has left its mark in peeling paint, grime, and well-intended but clumsy fixes.
At the Austin Woman’s Club on February 5, Kim Barker, UT’s first-ever preservation planner, shared how her team is bringing the Tower and other beloved campus buildings back to life—carefully, respectfully, and with a detective’s eye for detail.
Breathing new life into the Tower
The star of this effort is a $70 million restoration of the Main Building and Tower, the first major investment in the structure since it opened in 1937. Barker describes her role as an historical sleuth. By digging through archives and poring over 1935 construction photographs, her team discovered details long erased from public memory: a hidden balustrade buried under stucco and the fact that the Tower’s spandrels were originally painted in two tones.
One of the most dazzling changes is the return of the gold. Crews are regilding the clock face and the “alphabet letters”—symbols drawn from Egyptian, Phoenician, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin—that encircle the lower sections of the Tower, restoring the shimmer that early Longhorns would have known well.
Battle Hall: the “prettiest building on campus”
Barker’s work doesn’t stop at the Tower. She has a special affection for Battle Hall, the red-tiled gem she calls the “prettiest building on campus.” Built in 1911 as UT’s first purpose-built library, Battle Hall has weathered a century of changing needs, including mid-century renovations that literally “chopped off” vaulted plaster ceilings to wedge in air conditioning ducts.
Today, the restoration team is squishing modern utilities into tucked-away spaces so they can reopen the original 1911 corridors and reading rooms. At the same time, they are adding the building’s first passenger elevator, finally making the iconic second-floor reading room accessible to all.
Gearing Hall: where function meets history
The same preservation mindset is at work at Gearing Hall, the 1932 home of UT’s original Home Economics program. Here, Barker’s team is sourcing clay roofing tiles from the building’s original manufacturer and restoring weather-beaten windows so they look as they did in the 1930s.
Even the doors tell a story. They’ve been rebuilt to match their original weight and wood species, but with discreet glass panels added to improve safety for today’s students—a small change that shows how historic character and modern function can coexist.
Why this work matters
For Barker, preservation is not about freezing buildings in time; it is about protecting their significance and integrity so they can keep speaking to new generations. By cleaning stone, regilding details, and uncovering long-hidden craftsmanship, UT is doing more than repairing old structures—it is restoring the physical heart of the campus so its stories can continue to resonate with future Longhorns, and with all of us who care about Austin’s history.
November 6, 2025 Beyond the Parlor: The Founders of the Austin Woman's Club Celebrate our Past Presidents Luncheon featuring UT Prof. Gail Chovan and the UT Historic Costume Collection.
Based on 8 founding members of the Austin Woman’s Club, the students have researched the accomplishments, style and legacy of each member. The exhibit will include historic garments of the time period - the late 1920s into the early 1930s - based on the members personality, age and role in the club and the community. All of the garments chosen are from the Historic Textiles and Apparel Collection from the School of Human Ecology at UT Austin. The students are a part of the Historic Collection Management and Exhibition Design course led by Professor Gail Chovan which studies and promotes fashion history as it is related to the current industry, museum studies and future careers or volunteerism in the community.
Click here for the Slideshow.
October 16, 2025 - Robyn Metcalfe and Joy Stoddard - Home Economics and the Muppets
Watch the Presentation
Aside from Martha Stewart and the film Lessons in Chemistry, you probably haven’t heard much about Home Economics recently. Now, home economics is about to reappear, although not as it existed during the early 19th century. Dr. Metcalfe, historian, former professor at UT, and co-founder of The Lunar Society will reveal how the founders of home economics and its graduates made contributions to science to reshape our homes, our clothing, and what we eat. Even more than household solutions, graduates of home economics were innovators in both the scientific and artistic fields. As we begin the journey towards an AI–driven world, Metcalfe shares her insights about how the mindset instilled through home economics may empower us to thrive as humans.
Robyn Metcalfe is a historian, author, executive producer, and Founder of The Lunar Society, an experience design group. She is intensely curious about how things work, human and their stories, and how we navigate the intersection our digital and analog worlds. For decades, she explored how our food systems evolved from the 19th century into the future. As an author, she wrote The New Wizard War, Meat, Market, and the City, Food Routes, and Humans in Our Food. As Executive Producer, she produced several documentary films, including The Long Coast, Arc of Oblivion, and Shelf Life. Her previous experiences include The University of Texas at Austin, Kelmscott Rare Breeds Farm, Arthur D. Little, and Sunset Magazine. Robyn received her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan, and her Masters and Doctorate degrees at Boston University, both in Modern European History. You can learn more about her work at www.robynsmetcalfe.com.
Joy Stoddard believes that everyone has the right and potential to flourish, and we all need support at one time or another during our lives. Joy spent 23.5 years at Whole Foods Market, at first opening stores and training thousands of employees. Then she served as Development Director for its non-profit Whole Planet, dedicated to alleviating poverty, helping to raise $140 million to fund 7 million microcredit loans for low-income entrepreneurs - mostly women - in 80 countries including 26 U.S cities such as Austin. Now, she is Vice President of Development at Free To Choose Network, raising awareness and funds for documentaries advancing capitalism and freedom, and its educational affiliate non-profit izzit.org, which provides free materials to teachers to inspire students to think critically and flourish in a free society. Joy joined AWC and the Development Committee in July 2025 and she has lived in central Austin for 25 years.
September 25, 2025 "Darksky Texas" by Frank Cronin
Frank Cronin has tutored and taught in Developmental Education at Austin Community College (ACC) since 1987. In his academic career he has served on the Board of Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Central Texas Chapter from 1996-2004. From 2010-2012 he was secretary for the Texas Association of Developmental Education. He became interested in Darksky International due to his interest in Astronomy. In 2021 and 2022, he presented “Darkness at the End of the Tunnel: Solutions to Light Pollution” at ACC Earth Week Programs. DarkSky Texas promotes the use of better lighting to help restore our view of the nighttime sky, improve the safety and well-being of people and wildlife, and save energy. Frank retired from ACC at the end of 2022 and looks forward to being more involved with Darksky Texas.
Download his presentation here.
August 28, 2025 AWC Luncheon with Sarah Sonner, Briscoe Center for American History, UT Austin - 'History and Fate, The Goodwins and the 1960s'
Exhibit Development: 'History and Fate, The Goodwins and the 1960s'
Sarah Sonner, Briscoe Center for American History, UT Austin
Austin Womans Club, August 28,2025
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Sarah G. Sonner, Ph.D., Director for Curation at the Briscoe Center for American History, discusses the development of the exhibit 'History and Fate, The Goodwins and the 1960s.' The exhibit highlights the archives of Doris Kearns Goodwin and Dick Goodwin, focusing on their contributions to political history and the 1960s. Sarah outlines the process of exhibit development, including research, design, and layout, emphasizing the importance of primary sources and visitor engagement. The exhibit features significant historical events, such as JFK and RFK's assassinations, and Dick Goodwin's work on the 'We Shall Overcome' speech. Doris Kearns Goodwin's involvement in the exhibit and her book 'An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s' provided structure and context. The exhibit is open until December 12th, and Sarah encourages visitors to explore the collections and engage with the historical narratives presented.
Action Points:
- Encourage visitors to explore the exhibit before it closes on December 12th.
- Consider planning future exhibits around significant historical events, such as the nation's 250th anniversary next year.
Key Topics:
Introduction to the Exhibit
- Sarah Sonner introduces the exhibit 'History and Fate, The Goodwins and the 1960s,' highlighting its focus on the archives of Doris Kearns Goodwin and Dick Goodwin. She discusses her role in overseeing the exhibit program and material culture collection at the Briscoe Center for American History.
Exhibit Development Process
- Sarah explains the exhibit development process, including research, interpretation, and design coordination. She emphasizes the use of primary sources and the importance of making collections accessible to the public. The exhibit aims to promote research and highlight new acquisitions.
Content and Themes of the Exhibit
- The exhibit explores the Goodwins' contributions to political history, focusing on the 1960s. It features significant events such as JFK and RFK's assassinations and Dick Goodwin's work on the 'We Shall Overcome' speech. The exhibit also highlights Doris Kearns Goodwin's book and her involvement in the project.
Design and Layout Considerations
- Sarah discusses the design and layout of the exhibit, including the use of large format images and chronological arrangement of objects. She highlights the importance of creating an emotional arc and engaging visitors through thoughtful design choices.
Visitor Engagement and Feedback
- The exhibit aims to engage visitors by providing a comprehensive view of the Goodwins' archives and their historical significance. Doris Kearns Goodwin's feedback was incorporated into the exhibit, ensuring it conveyed the main points of her book. The exhibit has been extended due to its popularity.
More details on her presentation
May 29, 2025 “An Overview of Historical Sites | Texas Historical Commission” Inez Wolins — Assistant Deputy Executive Director of Historic Sites Texas Historical Commission
Leading a multidisciplinary team of 150+ in Austin and at 39 historic sites across the state, Inez Wolins is responsible for operations, earned revenue, establishing innovative strategies to increase visitation and participation through educational and interpretive programs and services, and creating impactful exhibitions.
She holds a master’s degree in Museology and Art History from Syracuse University and pursued doctoral work in Educational Technology at New York University. She brings to the Texas Historical Commission experience as a museum director and as senior director of education and visitor experience at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, CM Russell Museum, and the Autry Museum of the American West, among others. Wolins served as Chief of Interpretation and Education with the National Park Service overseeing 16 historic sites along Boston’s Freedom Trail, and as Interim Chief of Interpretation & Education for 63 parks in the northeast region.
A frequent reviewer for grants awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, she chaired the Interpretation, Volunteers, and Education committee for the National Park Service, was a seven-year board member for the American Alliance of Museums, led the Association of Women Art Museum Directors’ Caucus, was on the exhibition and education committee of American Federation of Arts, a reviewer with the National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, and Kansas Arts Commission, and chaired the 2023 meeting of the Mountain- Plains Museums Association.
Throughout her tenure with parks and museums, she held joint appointments with graduate programs at Drexel University, Framingham University, Bank Street College of Education, Pratt Institute, and University of South Florida. She has led Interpretive Master Plans and Management Assessments for Gettysburg National Military Park, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Workman and Temple Homestead Museum, New York Historical Society, and Pecos National Historical Park. In addition to consulting with more than 30 museums and historic sites nationwide, Wolins has authored close to 40 journal articles and book chapters about the role of community engagement, education, public history, and visitor experience.
Click here to learn more and see her slide show.
August 14, 2025 Elizabeth Henneke, Founder and CEO of Lone Star Justice Alliance
Advocacy and Reform in the Texas Justice System
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The content is a detailed narrative by a lawyer who grew up in Huntsville, Texas, and has dedicated her career to justice reform, particularly focusing on youth and juvenile justice. She shares her personal background, growing up in a prison environment, and how it shaped her understanding of justice. The speaker discusses her journey through education, becoming a lawyer, and her work in various high-profile cases. She highlights her current role in an organization focused on justice reform, sharing a poignant story about a young girl named Lacey, a victim of human trafficking, who was unjustly imprisoned. The speaker outlines the organization's efforts in policy advocacy, strategic litigation, and community programs to support individuals like Lacey. She emphasizes the importance of systemic change, citing statistics on recidivism and disconnection rates among youth in Texas. The speaker calls for support and engagement from the audience, highlighting the need for volunteers, financial contributions, and advocacy at the legislative level. She concludes by expressing her passion for justice reform and the potential for Texas to lead in this area.
Action Points:
- Launch a volunteer program for the organization's new opportunity youth work.
- Send the volunteer program link to Susan for distribution.
- Sign up for the organization's newsletter for updates and calls to action.
- Engage with the Texas legislature for advocacy on justice reform.
- Develop a gun violence advocacy campaign starting in the fall.
- Release the new strategic plan for Austin by the end of the year.
Key Topics:
Introduction and Personal Background
- The speaker introduces herself as a lawyer who grew up in Huntsville, Texas, within a prison environment. She shares her family's history in law enforcement and how her upbringing influenced her career in justice reform. She discusses her educational journey, attending Yale University and the University of Texas for law school, and her early career experiences.
Career and Advocacy Work
- The speaker outlines her career path, including her work in high-profile legal cases and her transition to academia. She discusses her decision to return to Texas to focus on justice reform, particularly in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. She highlights her role in an organization dedicated to systemic change and advocacy.
Case Study: Lacey's Story
- The speaker shares the story of Lacey, a victim of human trafficking who was unjustly imprisoned. She details the organization's efforts to advocate for Lacey, including changing laws, filing appeals, and securing her release. The story illustrates the broader issues within the justice system and the need for reform.
Systemic Challenges and Solutions
- The speaker discusses the systemic challenges in the Texas justice system, including high recidivism rates and disconnection among youth. She presents data on these issues and outlines the organization's three-part approach: policy advocacy, strategic litigation, and community programs. She emphasizes the importance of addressing social determinants of health and creating pathways for youth.
Organizational Impact and Future Plans
- The speaker highlights the organization's achievements, including legislative wins, litigation successes, and community program outcomes. She discusses future plans, such as launching a gun violence advocacy campaign and releasing a strategic plan for Austin. She calls for support from the audience in various forms, including volunteering, financial contributions, and legislative advocacy.
Click here to see her full presentation.
July 24, 2025 “A Few Ordinary Texans (Personal letters that should have stayed private)” Buck Cole, Historian
Mollie and Rufus Mann. Onnie Clem. Kate Stone. Ordinary Texans from days past? Their personal letters, archived in the Texas General Land Office and other places, tell a different story. Experiences and details that perhaps should have stayed private many years ago.
Buck Cole will share the invaluable role of personal letters in understanding history, particularly the often-overlooked experiences of “ordinary” individuals. You’ll learn how intimate personal documents can offer unique insights into daily life, emotions, and perspectives that official records often miss, bringing the past to life in a deeply personal way. Bio: Buck Cole is a native of Waco, Air Force veteran, retired Texas and American history teacher, and former K-12 Education Coordinator for the Texas General Land Office Archives. He makes history come alive by sharing stories to schools, historical organizations, and civic groups using documents from museums, libraries, and the one he knows best, the Texas General Land Office Archives — home to 38 million documents and 45 thousand maps that tell the story of Texas (and lesser-known places.)
Visit his website, Historify.co., the simplest and quickest history read on the Internet.
Click here to see the wonderful Texas maps that were given.
June 26, 2025 “Walking Through Walsh Place” Linda McCoy, Austin “HIPstorian”
Hipstorian Linda McCoy walks us through one of the first neighborhoods in Tarrytown, part of the original Walsh Tract. William Walsh was born in Limerick, Ireland, and left his homeland around the age of 14 during the Great Potato Famine. He originally owned 100 acres near today's Lake Austin as well as the land that is now Davenport Ranch. Walsh was a quarryman and lime manufacturer and bought the land as an industrial site as well as a place to raise his 10 children with his wife, Dora. He was a very enterprising, hard-working, and generous man. His legacy is woven into the very fabric of the neighborhood and Linda will tell his story from Famine to Fortune.
Linda McCoy grew up in San Antonio but got to Austin as soon as she could - and she vows to never leave! She has two grown sons, Zikolos, who teaches English in Osaka, Japan, and Griffen, who is studying Fashion Design at ACC. Linda loves researching Austin's amazing history and says 'going down rabbit holes' is her superpower. She has lived in Austin since 1992 and is an avid, competitive standup paddle boarder. She is the current president of the USA SUP and is involved in several environmental nonprofits in Austin, including Keep Austin Beautiful and Shoal Creek Conservancy. Linda recently assisted Walsh's descendants, Chuck Munson and Chris Walsh, in getting the Walsh Boat Landing in Tarrytown rededicated to honor the elder Walsh. She worked with the Mayor's office to have a proclamation declaring March 23, 2025, as William Walsh Day in Austin, Texas.
Click here to see the slideshow from her presentation.
June 19, 2025 “Pompeo Coppini: Italian Classicism in the Lone Star State” Karen Pope, Ph.D., Art Historian
Karen Pope shared an illustrated survey of Pompeo Coppini’s key works, including the stories of the Littlefield Fountain and the Alamo Cenotaph. Pope will chart Coppini’s shift from Confederate monuments to works that have come to define Texas and its heroes.
AWC Member, Karen Pope, Ph.D. in the History of Art (University of Texas, 1981), is a specialist in the modern art of Europe and America. She retired in May 2015 from a full-time position on the Baylor University faculty, teaching art history courses in 19th-century European and American Art, the priority of the Allbritton Art Institute. She has three decades experience in academic teaching, docent training, and informal lecture series. Since 1995, she has offered lecture programs, art museum daytrips, and art history-rich study tours in the US and Europe through Art inSight Adventures in Art History.
Click here to learn more and see her presentation.
March 27, 2025 "AUSTIN’S GILDED AGE: We Were Just a Little Weird Back Then, Too!" James Haley, Historian and Author
Jim Haley gave a detailed exploration of the Gilded Age, focusing on its impact and manifestations in Texas. Haley discussed the origins of the term 'Gilded Age' coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, highlighting the era's characteristics of unrestrained capitalism and wealth concentration. Haley contrasted the experiences of the North and South during this period, noting Texas's unique position due to its history and economic conditions.
James Haley has been a force in Texas history for fifty years. He is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and a fellow of the Texas State Historical Association. He is the author of twenty-five books, he has won the Western Writers of America Spur Award twice and the Texas Historical Commission book award twice, in addition to the Tullis Prize, the Parmelee Award for Original Research, and numerous other accolades. He will have a selection of his books to sign and sell (for cash or personal check, no credit cards) after the program, including his prize-winning biography of Sam Houston, his history of Texas titled Passionate Nation, and others.
Click Here to see his presentation.
May 15, 2025 “Austin’s “Gateway to History” is on Guadalupe” Charles Peveto — President, Austin History Center Association Adam Powell — Executive Director, Austin History Center Association
Charles Peveto and Adam Powell will give a history of the Austin History Center Association (AHCA), from its founding as a friends group in 1979 as a partner to the Austin History Center and a division of the Austin Public Library.
The newly expanded two-building Austin History Center campus on Guadalupe has the potential of becoming a world-class facility, not only as a depository of Austin's RICH and DIVERSE history, but to tell those stories through meaningful programming...'Our Austin Story'.
Charles Peveto is Honorary Chair of the Friends of Chateau Bellevue. He will share what he sees as opportunities for partnership between AHCA and Friends of Chateau Bellevue. Charles will also update us on the Old Austin Neighborhood Association activities.
Charles Peveto is a dedicated advocate for Austin’s rich and diverse history. A long-time activist in Austin’s preservation community, he has played a key role in the Austin History’s Center’s evolution into a formal partner with the City of Austin. An architectural historian and Texas A&M graduate, Charles has served the Texas Historical Commission for over 44 years and is the board president of the Austin History Center Association.
Adam Powell’s experience is mission-driven — a union organizer, school district administrator, state employee, and political candidate. He is a Texas Christian University graduate with a degree in history, where he gained hands-on experience in archival preservation with TCU Special Collections and the National Archives at Fort Worth. Powell has served as a SAFE Alliance Board Member, Committee Member with CapMetro, and as Vice President of the North Shoal Creek Neighborhood Association.
Click here for photos of this presentation.
April 24, 2025 “The Briscoe Center: Where History Comes to Life” Erin Purdy — Deputy Executive Director, Briscoe Center or American History, UT Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is home to the Briscoe Center, one of the nation’s leading research centers for historical study. But even the most fervent Longhorn fan may not be aware of the treasures that are part of our holdings—or how to access them. This overview of the center and its collection strengths will explore how one of the University’s earliest special collections has evolved and its influence on how we understand our nation’s past.
Erin Purdy is the deputy executive director for the Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin. She was a curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the editor-in-chief of Cleveland Magazine, and a researcher and writer for The History Factory before fulfilling her childhood dream of moving to Austin, Texas. Initially hired at the Briscoe Center in 2005 as an oral historian, her responsibilities increased to management of the center’s communications and public outreach efforts, including exhibits, publications, and print and online communications. She left in 2016 to work for Texas State University in presidential, fundraising, and admissions communications, but greatly missed working in history. It was her great fortune to return to the Briscoe Center in 2021. Erin lives in Kyle, Texas, with her husband Chris Miller and Callie, their incredibly spoiled rescue dog.
Click here to see her presentation.
March 6, 2025 "Joint Meeting with the American History Club" Cindy Stone, American History Club
Cindy Stone shares important cultural insights and artifacts of Native Americans of the Southwest – Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo.
February 20, 2025 “UT Austin’s Public Arts Program is Extraordinaire” Catherine Whited — Education Coordinator, LANDMARKS • Public Arts Program • UT Austin
Works of public art have the capacity to resonate deeply, stimulate curiosity, and inspire the imagination in unexpected ways. At The University of Texas at Austin, the public art collection is one of the most distinguishing features of the main campus, shaping impressions and offering a distinctive setting for memorable experiences.
As the university’s public art program, Landmarks enriches the lives of students and visitors by presenting art that is broadly accessible and free to all. Some fifty works of modern and contemporary art are throughout the 433-acre campus and viewed by thousands of people every day.
Catherine Whited is the Education Coordinator for Landmarks, the public art program at the University of Texas at Austin. An alum of UT, Catherine received her B.A. in Classical Archeology and her M.S.I.S. from the university’s School of Information with a portfolio in museum studies. At Landmarks, Catherine manages all aspects of the education department including public programming, producing educational resources, and overseeing the volunteer docent cohort.
Catherine also serves as a member of the advisory council at the Neill-Cochran House Museum and a Co-Chair of the Austin Museum Partnership.
January 30, 2025 Barbara Bergin, M.D. “The Perfect Storm to Your Granny’s Gait”
Need short description below posted. Sent Noel Slides on July 29 as .pdf.
Learn how Dr. Bergin treats the bones and joints she herself didn’t keep in good shape. How can older adults can live a safer, healthier, and happier life? Why you should ditch high-heeled shoes and other 'No-Nos'. Dr. Bergin’s Blog: www.drbarbarabergin.com
My patients often ask, “How did I end up walking like my grandma?”, says Dr. Barbara Bergin. “There is a pathway, and I love to talk about it, starting with the definition and components of our normal gait, and ending with a discussion of the pathological components of your Granny’s limp, how she got it, and some steps (no pun intended) you can take to prevent it! Does it hurt? Or is it just part of that aging process?”
In 1986, Dr. Barbara Bergin co-founded Texas Orthopedics, Sports & Rehabilitation Associates, at a time when other orthopedic groups in Austin and the country wouldn’t readily choose to hire female orthopedic surgeons. Through her leadership, Texas Orthopedics is now one of the largest orthopedic practices in Texas. Dr. Bergin recently retired from her orthopedic practice. She and her husband, Dr. Paul Nader, moved to Sun City, Georgetown. Her parents moved nearby.
She’s active in the Georgetown community, as a volunteer for the Ride On Center for Children (R.O.C.K. equine-assisted therapy) and the Sun City Instrument Playing Performance Artist Charter Club. She is a novelist (Endings, Sunstone Press, 2007), and a singer-songwriter-guitar player, performing and writing folk, bluegrass and country music, releasing her first CD in 2020, (Blood Red Moon). She is a cowgirl and a rancher.
November 14, 2024 “Remembering Miss Morley: An Unconventional Woman in a Conventional Time” Connie Hudson
We are excited to feature Miss Lucille Morley, 1890 — 1981, Austin Woman’s Club’s distinguished and beloved Music Chair whose nieces and nephews accompanied her
on extensive summer travels abroad, staying in fine hotels while attending England’s and Europe’s finest concerts, music festivals and operas.
AWC member Connie Hudson will explain the many ways Miss Morley was a fascinating “unconventional woman in conventional times.” The Morley Family, as you know, is well remembered as a very significant part of Austin’s early history. Come learn how and why Connie loved and admired Miss Morley, who not only attended her wedding but also gave Connie and husband, Steve Hudson, her love and wedding gift of stock on their wedding day!
In reading Club history, no doubt Miss Morley helped initiate the Club’s new “Morning Musicales” in the 1930s, which were sponsored by the Music and Drama Committee and presented on the fourth Thursday from October through March. The West Terrace, then, also became increasingly important and admired by Club members. Viewing it as “the perfect setting for performances,” they insisted on changing the name to the ‘Sunken Garden,’ and in the summer of 1938, succeeded in furnishing Austin with its first outdoor Summer Opera, “The Bohemian Girl” by Balfe, an opera which had premiered in London in November 1843.
November 7, 2024 "Fashions from the Gilded Age" Gail Chovin, Associate Professor, Department of Textiles and Apparel Design School of Human Ecology, College of Natural Sciences, UT Austin
Following the historic costume exhibits developed by University of Texas at Austin Textiles and Clothing students for the 150th Gala “The Gilded Age,” UT Austin Associate Professor Gail Chovan will share insights into the historic garments on display that reflect the aesthetic, mores, and technology of The Gilded Age — from about 1880 to early 1900’s.
Click here for pictures.
Chovan will also discuss:
- Highlights and personalities represented in the 6000+ collection of historic costumes from UT Austin
· Learning objectives for students and career opportunities
· Collaboration with textile, design, and retail industries.
Gail Chovan specializes in conceptual clothing design, artisanal techniques, and the history of costume. She focuses on the genesis of ideas and exploration of inspiration, while instilling strong technical skills in her students. Chovan teaches courses in History of Dress and Cultural Change and oversees the Historic Textile and Apparel Collection, which houses over 6000 pieces of clothing and artifacts that have been donated.
During her summers, Chovan taught courses in Fashion & Design and Advanced draping at the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne as well as at the Paris College of Art in France. She established and serves as the UT Director of the TXA Paris Study Abroad Program. She is currently pursuing an MLA in Museum Studies through Harvard University.
October 31, 2024 "Extraterrestrial Life: An Astronomer's View" G. Fritz Benedict, Senior Research Scientist at McDonald Observatory UT Austin
When G. Fritz Benedict started teaching astronomy in 1970, common knowledge was of one star with planets. We now know thousands of stars with planetary systems. How did we find these alien worlds, and what do we know about them? If they exist, can we find other civilizations like ours? Yes! Have we? Not yet.
June 27, 2024 “American Indian Service in the United States Military” Barbara Woelk
Although United States citizenship was not granted to all American Indians until after World War I, they served in the United States military in large numbers before becoming citizens. Citizenship was granted eventually to all American Indians partly in recognition of the large number who voluntarily served in World War I.
Barbara Woelk will talk about the attitude of tribal members towards military service and how they supported members during and after their military service. Barbara will share stories of military service by her family and her tribe, as well as American Indians in general.
October 17, 2024 “Why is there a collection of Latin American art at the Blanton Museum of Art?” Florencia Bazzano, Assistant Curator for Latin American Art, UT Austin Blanton Museum of Arts
Florencia Bassoon will answer this question by exploring the history of this campus museum as it assembled one of the most significant collections of Latin American art in the United States.
Bazzano joined the Blanton Art Museum in 2015. She assists with the rotations of the Latin American permanent galleries. She cu- rated Border Vision: Luis Jiménez’s Southwest (2021); and co-curated Words/Matter: Latin American Art and Language at the Blanton (with Beverly Adams, 2018). Previously Bazzano worked for the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in Washington, DC. She also taught art history for many years and has an extensive list of publications, including the book Liliana Porter: The Art of Simulation (Routledge, 2008).
Bazzano is an alumna of The University of Texas at Austin, where she received her undergraduate and master’s degrees. She earned her PhD in Latin American Art from the University of New Mexico.
October 10, 2024 “The Things That Connect Us” Addie Broyles, Former Food Editor, Austin American-Statesman
Addie Broyles wrote about food for years as a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman, but it wasn't until the pandemic that she realized she was writing about so much more than recipes and how to save money at the grocery store. She launched her Substack newsletter, called The Invisible Thread, in 2021, where she writes about the things that connect us that we cannot see: love, loss, longing, belonging, and bewildering joy.
On the side, she has also built a business as a tarot card reader, where she helps people see their own story in a new way. The Missouri native has lived in Austin since 2005, where she started her career as an intern at Texas Monthly. She still subscribes to the newspaper, loves swimming at Barton Springs, and is raising
her two boys on a pocket farm in North Austin with her home-steading husband, Frank.
Broyles will share the highlights and lessons from her years in the newspaper industry and what she's learned about building community and resilience in the face of change. She'll also give us a quick lesson in tarot cards as a tool for self-discovery.
September 26, 2024 “Fredericksburg ‘Then and Now’ ” Cindy Nelson
Fredericksburg, only 80 miles from Austin, was founded in 1846 by German immigrants. They include Cindy’s great, great grandparents. Cindy will go back in time and share little known facts on Fredericksburg’s history. Expect to get Cindy’s favorite spots around town too and discover what’s going on in Fredericksburg beyond the wineries!
August 15, 2024 “Amazing Hummingbirds of the Americas” Isaac C. Sanchez, Professor Emeritus in Chemical Engineering
At 13 years old, Issac Sanchez became infatuated with birds. To this day remains passionate about birds and bird photography
A San Antonio native, a St. Mary’s Undergraduate and University of Delaware PhD in physical chemistry, Sanchez joined the Chemical Engineering Dept. at UT in 1988. He was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering in 1997, the highest recognized honor in engineering. Married to Patty Praytor for 21 years, between them they have four sons and 14 grandchildren. He was on the Board of Foundation for the Homeless, a Coordinator of Feed My People, and is an Elder at Westlake Presbyterian.
July 25, 2024 “Treasures of the Chateau” Peggi Purcell, Chair Fine Arts and Furnishings Susan Gatlin, Chair Archives
Seasoned members and newer members of the Austin Woman’s Club will learn of heirlooms the Chateau has been bequeathed over these many, many years. Our treasures have been catalogued and photographed by Peggi and Susan and they have graciously agreed to share their extended knowledge with all of us!!! Our treasures are on display throughout the Chateau’s three floors. You will be inspired to explore these treasures.
July 18, 2024 “Texas Towns with Weird Names!” Jo Virgil, Retired Journalist and Community Relations
Every town has a story about where its name comes from, but there are many towns in Texas that have strange names and interesting stories about where they came from. Most are tiny towns that had to struggle to come up with a name that hadn't already been chosen by another town; some of the names are just the result of weird mistakes. But they are all fun to look at and they might make you laugh!
Jo Virgil, recently retired, has had a full career working in journalism and community relations. She worked as a freelance reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and has had pieces published in various magazines and books; she served as Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble; and she was the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. She has a Master of Journalism degree with a minor in Environmental Science, reflecting her love of writing as well as her deep appreciation and respect for nature. She loves researching, writing, learning new things, and traveling to explore and learn. She is also a long-time member, and now the Vice-President, of the Texas Folklore Society, a wonderful organization that meets once a year in various towns in Texas to share folklore stories, fun visits with members from all over the state, and hoot-nanny music.
June 20, 2024 “The Austin Metro Area” Lila Valencia, Demographer, City of Austin
The Austin metro area has been among the fastest growing metros in the country for over a decade, and the city of Austin is a major driver of that growth. This long-sustained growth is linked to Austin’s resilient economy propelled by a young, highly educated workforce. However, with this growth also come growing pains, including soaring housing prices, continued geographic segregation, and persistent racial disparities in health and wealth outcomes.
Lila Valencia will explore Austin’s dualities of growth gains and growing pains and the implications these demographic shifts can have on planning related to affordability, transit, access to healthcare and education, as well as infrastructure.
May 30, 2024 “Austin Women’s Club Charter Member, Mrs. Joe Gilbert (1877-1961)” Richard Eisenhour, Exhibit Technician at State Preservation Board
Austin Women’s Club Charter Member, Mrs. Joe Gilbert led such a comparatively tranquil life in Austin. One could never imagine the harrowing experience and narrow escape she endured just prior to her 1900 marriage. Galveston native, Richard Eisenhour, knows all about Mrs Gilbert’s thrilling tale!
May 16, 2024 “The Wends Come to Texas” Richard Gruetzner, Vice President, German-Texas Heritage Society
Richard Gruetzner will examine the origin and history of the Wendish people in Germany and why a large group made the decision to emigrate to Texas in the nineteenth century, the difficulties they faced, and their impact on the cultural heritage of Texas. Also discussed will be the efforts to keep alive their
ethnic traditions in the English-speaking world.
Born and raised in Austin, Gruetzner lives in Burnet County. After studying aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University, his career path changed to that of Law Enforcement with the Travis County Sheriff's Office, retiring in 2012 as a lieutenant. He is the current President of the Texas Wendish Heritage Society, the Vice-President of the German-Texan Heritage Society and one of their partner representatives to the International German Genealogy Partnership.
He also serves on the Boards of various other non-profit organizations. Richard has given lectures on Wendish and German heritage topics for various organizations including the German Department of UT-Arlington and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UT-Austin.
April 18, 2024 “How does listening differ from reading?” Art Markman, PhD. Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology, Human Dimensions of Organizations, and Marketing, and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin
The two primary ways that you take in language from the outside are by listening to someone else speaking and by reading words. In some ways, these modes are
similar. Both are rooted in the sounds of language, for example. But, they also differ in significant ways. For example, speech is available for only a moment, while words persist on a page. Markman will talk about the ways that hearing speech versus reading text differ and how that affects the experience of listening or reading as well as your understanding and memory for what you encountered.
He has written over 150 papers on topics including reasoning, decision making, and motivation. Markman brings insights from cognitive science to a broader audience through his blogs at Psychology Today and Fast Company as well as his radio show/podcast Two Guys on Your Head. He is the author of several books including Smart Thinking, Smart Change, Brain Briefs, and Bring Your Brain to Work.
April 4, 2024 “Tatae's Promise: You will live ... You will tell” Sherry Maysonave, Author
Sherry Maysonave, who co-authored Tatae’s Promise, a book she co-authored. It is based on eleven audio tapes recorded by Hinda Mondlak Goldman, the mother of co-author Moises J. Goldman, in the months prior to her death in 1985. Speaking in Yiddish and Spanish, Hinda chronicles her torture at the hands of the Nazis, her escape from Auschwitz with her younger sister, her subsequent travails, her fear of Nazis and Russian soldiers, her search for true love, and her immigration to Mexico City.
Maysonave is an award-winning author and acclaimed motivational speaker. Tatae’s Promise has been reviewed by many notable authors and educators since it was published in late 2023, including Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D. - Professor Emeritus UT-Austin who wrote: “Hinda is vividly alive in this reweaving of her memories. A memorable story of resilience and enduring love.”
March 21, 2024 “The New Texas Water Fund” Kathleen Ligon, Associate Executive Administrator, Texas Water Development Board
Kathleen Ligon provides a background and overview of Proposition 6 and the newly created Texas Water Fund, including how it came about, the status of implementation, and what it can do for Texas communities.
Ligon has worked on the Texas Water Development Board’s executive team since 2019. As Associate Executive Administrator, she serves as the liaison to the agency’s three-member board and leads agency wide special projects. In her current role, she led the implementation of flood mitigation planning and funding legislation from the 86th Texas legislative session, including a $1.5 billion appropriation, and she will be leading implementation of Proposition 6, the constitutional amendment creating the Texas Water Fund. Kathleen has almost 20 years of public service experience with the state of Texas, with 17 of those years at the TWDB. She graduated from UT Austin degree in Urban and Regional Planning in the School of Architecture.
February 29, 2024 “The Dramatic Story of Mrs. Joe Gilbert” Richard Eisenhour, Exhibit Technician at State Preservation Board
Austin Woman’s Club charter member, Mrs. Joe Gilbert (1877- 1961), led such a comparatively tranquil life in Austin. No one could never imagine the harrowing experience and narrow escape that she endured just prior to her 1900 marriage.
Galveston native, Richard Eisenhour, knows all about Mrs Gilbert’s thrilling tale and will regale us with the dramatic story.
February 15, 2024 “A Love Affair with Food” Diana Finlay Hendricks — Writer, Editor, Photographer, Speaker, Food Aficionado
With a master’s degree in History with emphasis in Texas Music and Culture, Diana Finley links food to the stories of people around her table and around the world. She leads cooking demonstrations and classes in clubs, spas, event spaces and private homes featuring Mexican cuisine, Cajun celebrations, Traditional Southern Suppers, A Taste of Tuscany, and other full meals. Most recently, she taught a Texas Chili class at Austin’s flagship Central Market, featuring
history lessons and recipes from the San Antonio Chili Queens of the 1800s, to Lady Bird Johnson’s Pedernales Chili and Diana’s own favorite recipe for the State Dish of Texas.
Her new food memoir, a collection of essays and recipes will be released in the early fall of 2024. In this autobiographical odyssey, recipes unfold like chapters, each dish a narrative etched with memories, emotions, and the passage of time. From the simplicity of childhood comfort foods to the more complex symphonies of adulthood, her culinary journey mirrors the tapestry of experiences.
November 2, 2023 “Remembering Mrs. R.A. Buford, AWC President 1932-1933” Nancy Buford, Austin Civic Community Member
Mrs. R.A. Buford was a founder and third president of Austin Woman’s Club.
The “Picturesque ‘Evans Castle’ at the corner of Eighth and San Antonio streets, entered a new cycle of existence yesterday when it was formally opened to the public [with a formal Silver Tea filling all three floors] as the Austin Woman’s Club.” — the Austin American Statesman, 1929
With women of great courage and vision, the Austin Woman’s Club began in 1929 with the purchase of magnificent Chateau Bellevue. Built in 1874, its Sesquicentennial is in 2024, and soon, we will celebrate our Club’s One Hundredth Anniversary. This event will honor all Past Presidents, especially those who overcame obstacles and doubts in our earliest years. Amazingly, today, we will hear a firsthand remembrance of Mrs. R.A. Buford, one of the original organizers of the Club who served as President in 1932. With others equally dedicated and determined, Mrs. Buford’s name is everywhere in the official minutes, historical notes and newspaper clippings, giving glorious accounts of the notoriety of our Club’s earliest times.
Nancy Buford, our speaker, is a well-known Enfield resident who has lived her entire adult life here in Austin and is integrally involved in the community in numerous ways. Her happy and beautiful marriage to the late Robert Littlefield Buford, Jr., a real estate investor well known in civic, business and social circles, brought about a fond, close, loving relationship with Mrs. R.A. Buford, Bob’s grandmother. The legacy of voluntarism and service of this early Austin family is extensive and continues through Nancy and Bob’s adult children, daughter Christy Werner and son Robert L. Buford III and their families.
January 25, 2024 “BUILDING AMERICA: Conquests, Commerce, Consequences” Todd Clayton
The United States began as colonies isolated by huge oceans. In only 60 years after winning independence, the U.S. spans a huge land mass, from sea to sea. Todd Clayton will talk about ambitious infrastructure investments that provided a foundation for the prosperous country we are today.
Todd Clayton has spoken at AWC many times. He has a MBA from Harvard Business and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern.
January 11, 2024 “Sam Houston — A Man of Destiny” Sam Houston, Author
Sam Houston is native Texan and the great nephew of Sam Houston, an iconic Texas hero. With many props and several hats that representSam Houston’s life’s journey, this first-person narrative traces his historic life. Sam has served as an officer on the Board of Directors for Meals on Wheels Central Texas for the last 25 years.
November 30, 2023 “When the Chateau Was New: The Arts in the Times of the Norths and Evans” Karen Pope, Ph.D., Art Historian
Karen Pope, AWC member, will walk us through an important period in art history — from Impressionism (born in the same year as the Chateau) to the 1890s.
Pope earned her Ph.D. in the History of Art (U of TX. 1981) is a specialist in the modern art of Europe and America. In addition to 3 decades of academic teaching, docent training and informal lecture series, Karen founded Art inSight, offering lecture programs, art museum day trips, and study tours in the U. S. and Europe, with the goal of expanding her companions’ understanding of art history. Karen is involved in the operations of the historic Neill-Cochran House Museum.
September 21, 2023 “Sustainability in Austin” Mary K. Priddy, Conservation Program Manager, City of Austin
Mary Priddy developed and manages the Bright Green Future Grants Program, which awards schools with grants of up to $3,000 for sustainability projects. She also manages the Austin Green Business Leaders Program, which recognizes businesses for their sustainable actions.
Priddy graduated from Texas A& M University with a Biochemistry degree. Following a ten-year career as a teacher in the Austin Independent School District, she spent twelve years as a standup comic. Mary has been working at the City of Austin since 2003 and joined the Office of Sustainability in 2007, where she currently works as the Education and Outreach Coordinator. Her primary focus is schools and businesses.
Priddy is an animal advocate who co-founded DenMar’s Animal Refuge Network (DARN), a nonprofit dedicated to helping rural shelters across Texas. Mary was the 2015 recipient of the Keep Texas Beautiful Sadie Ray Graff Youth Educator Award.
August 31, 2023 “Nature-Based Solutions for Texas”: Elizabeth McGreevy, Executive Director, Project Bedrock
Elizabeth McGreevy is the Executive Director Project Bedrock, author, and natural resources planner. She is a professional natural resources and ecological consultant with more than 25 years of expertise in Hill Country ecosystem and working lands analysis, planning, education, project management, and best development practices. Her well-researched book, "Wanted! Mountain Cedars, Dead and Alive", advances many of the regenerative strategies that serve as the basis of the Project Bedrock mission. A sixth-generation Texan, she received her master's degree from Texas A&M and is a certified permaculture planner.
November 9, 2023 “The Iconic Cadillac Bar of Nuevo Laredo” Wanda Garner Cash, Author, RetiredJournalism Professor, UT Austin
Wanda Garner Cash talks about her book “Pancho Villa’s Saddle at the Cadillac Bar.” She has the inside story!
Cash, born and reared in Laredo, is a granddaughter of the Cadillac’s founder Mayo Bessan and a daughter of Porter Garner, who built its modern reputation during his tenure from 1946 until 1979. This memoir, a mixture of narrative storytelling and oral history, traces the humble beginnings of the Cadillac Bar, the iconic Nuevo Laredo venue that became the go-to place for decades of locals and visitors from all over the world. The bar built a reputation as one of the finest eateries and watering holes in the Southwest, even surviving a 1954 flood that devastated cities on both sides of the Rio Grande. Its history sprawls across more than an half-century and its food and drink drew inspiration from the culinary traditions of southern Louisiana, from pre-Prohibition New Orleans, and from the dusty border towns that straddle the Rio Grande in far South Texas.
Cash, an award-winning journalist, lives in the Texas Hill Country after retiring in 2016 as a professor and associate director of the School of Journalism at UT Austin in 2016.
October 26, 2023 “Hey Lady, Can You Spare a Bitcoin?” Pierce O'Donnell, Lawyer Greenburg Glusker
Pierce O’Donnell, one of the most sought after trial attorneys in America will tell us how Bitcoin evolved and how a hacker stole $24 million from his client. The mastermind behind this heist will shock you.
Pierce was named one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America” by The National Law Journal. He is a member of the elite International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American Law Institute, the American Board of Trial Lawyers, and the American Trial Lawyers Association.
October 5, 2023 “Armadillos to Ziziphus” David Hillis, Director Biodiversity Center UT Austin College of Natural Sciences
For most of five decades, evolutionary biologist David Hillis has studied the biodiversity of the Texas Hill Country. Since the 1990s, he has worked to restore the natural beauty and diversity of his Mason County ranch, the Double Helix. In his excursions around his ranch and across the Edwards Plateau, Hillis came to realize how little most people know about the plants and animals around them or their importance to our everyday lives. He began thinking about how natural history is connected to our enjoyment of life, especially in a place as beautiful and beloved as the Hill Country, which, not coincidentally, happens to be one of the most biodiverse parts of Texas.
Featuring short nontechnical essays accompanied by vivid color photos, Armadillos to Ziziphus is a charming and casual introduction to the environment of the region. Whether walking the pasture with his Longhorn cattle, explaining the ecological significance of microscopic organisms in springtime mud puddles, or marveling at the local Ziziphus (aka Lotebush, a spiny shrub), Hillis guides first -time visitors and long-term residents alike in an appreciation for the Hill Country’s natural beauty and diversity.
David M. Hillis is the director of the Biodiversity Center at the University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences. He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 1999 and was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences in 2008. He is also known for his discovery of numerous new species, including Austin’s iconic Barton Springs Salamander.
August 10, 2023 “The EdEN Lab (Education, Evaluate, and Nutrition)” Jaimie Davis, Founder
Jaimie Davis, PhD is the principal investigator and creator of the EdEN lab (Education, Evaluate, and Nutrition). Her research over the past 20 years has focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating nutrition interventions to reduce obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases in pediatric populations. She is one of the leading experts in using garden-based approaches to improve dietary behaviors and reduce disease risk. She and her team with assistance from HEB are doing great work in low income elementary area schools in teaching gardening and cooking to help kids eat healthy food.
July 20, 2023 “Alberta and Albert” Richard Eisenhour, Author
To the Austin Woman’s Club, she is 1929 charter member "Mrs. JW McLaughlin," but local postcard collector Richard Eisenhour refers to her as "the mysterious Miss Alberta Askew." In 2019, Richard chanced upon a large collection of Miss Alberta's 1905 cards that she sent to a Belgian attorney named Albert Nothomb. This collection, combined with Richard's original research, affords the unusual opportunity to present a tantalizing and picture-rich narrative that dispels much of the mystery of 'Alberta and Albert.'
July 13, 2023 “Nutrition and the Gut Microbiome: Feeding Your Microbial Guardians” Molly Bray, Ph.D., Professor of Nutritional Sciences, UT Austin
From metabolism and obesity to mental health, the gut microbiome is a key regulator of many bodily functions. Many studies are underway to determine how our diet and lifestyle influence the composition of our microbial communities and potential therapies are being examined that target the microbiome to improve health outcomes. Bray gives an overview of the various types of human microbiomes and how behavioral and environmental factors can interact to modify the composition and function of the gut microbiome, and in turn, be modified themselves.
Molly Bray, Ph.D., is a Professor and holds the Susan T. Jastrow Endowed Chair in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UT Austin. She has a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and a Ph.D. in Human and Molecular Genetics.
June 29, 2023 “Storytelling — Oral and Written Among the Native Indian” Barbara Woelk, Author
Barbara Woelk is both Kiowa and Chickasaw. She'll speak on the importance of storytelling and how both oral and written stories impact how cultures view and react to the world.
June 22, 2023 “The Landsdowne Club in London, and other AWC Reciprocal Clubs” Mary Gay Grigg, AWC Member
The Lansdowne is a reciprocal club with the Austin Woman’s Club which means that any of our members may stay and/or dine there. You will learn the ropes on this process. The Lansdowne is a historic structure located in Mayfair, a much desired location in central London. After part of the parliament building burned, Parliament met in Lansdowne while it was being rebuilt. The Treaty of Paris was signed there, ending the American Revolution. See pages 33 and 34 of the Austin Woman’s Club yearbook for a list of 21 reciprocal clubs around the world.
May 4, 2023 “Catfish Calloway For The Defense: Legal Thrillers of the Gilded Age” Jerry Powell, Retired Professor of Law and Trial Lawyer
Professor Jerry Powell is a former trial lawyer and retired professor of law at the Baylor University School of Law. He is the author of a series of legal thrillers set in Texas in the 1890’s. The central character is an old warhorse of a trial lawyer named Catfish Calloway.
Powell, a native Wacoan, earned his JD from Baylor Law in 1977, and was ranked first in his class. During his time at Baylor Law, he was a member of the
national mock trial team and the national moot court team, and executive editor of the Baylor Law Review. He joined the Dallas law firm of Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox in 1977, and had an active litigation practice with the firm. He made partner in 1982. In 1986, he returned to Baylor Law to teach, and in 1987 he was appointed the Abner V. McCall Professor of Evidence Law. Powell also has been named a Master Teacher by Baylor University, the highest honor granted to Baylor faculty members.
To learn more Jerry and his published novels, visit his website at https://greadingpowell.squarespace.com/
January 26, 2023 “Vikings: Raiders, Traders, Settlers” Todd Clayton
The Norse of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden went on “Viking” raids sweeping along the beaches and up the rivers of Eastern and Western Europe. It was the shock and awe period of the medieval age. Raiding gave way to trading and settling. They struggled for the mastery of England, they founded Dublin and the Dukedom of Normandy, and they laid the foundations for modern Russia. Exploring westward, they colonized Iceland, Greenland and even had outposts on Newfoundland. They made it to North America 500 years before Columbus, and established a trading network from Baghdad to the North American Coast.
Todd Clayton was in the US Navy as an officer qualified in nuclear powered submarines. He has an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University. He has 30 years of executive marketing experience in the high tech industry in computers and communications. He and his wife Patti are life-long sailors. Over the past five years Todd has presented several maritime history seminars to the Austin Woman’s Club.
December 15, 2022 Jobe Corral Architects
Austin's Award Winning Woman-Owned Architecture Firm, Jobe Corral Architects, will visually engage our group with their design images. Jobe Coral specializes in the design of well detailed and highly crafted environments using authentic materials. They believe great projects spring from a deep understanding of the site, a respectful and transparent relationship with clients, and a full
comprehension of the project program. Paying close attention to these factors, and to how clients actually live in and use a space, informs the process and allows creation of a unique concept for every project. Architecture follows the path of aligning Art, Nature, & Science, and these exceptional women will share the process of design and construction in their thriving
business.
November 19 2022 “Historical Fredericksburg Tour” Gillespie County Historical Society
The Gillespie County Historical Society will host a tour of seven older homes in Fredericksburg. The tour will include Karen Haschke’s family home, the Klingelhoefer Haus, which is still owned by her original family. This is the first time the Klingelhoefer Haus has been on the historical homes tour.
November 3, 2022 “Remembering Jane Smoot” Daniel Ronan, Executive Director of the Flower Hill Foundation
Members and guests are invited to celebrate and learn about the history of AWC. We will honor all AWC Past Presidents and especially remember Miss Jane Smoot through a 22-year friendship she shared with Mr. John Plyler, caretaker of Flower Hill, her family estate. Mr. Plyer now serves as Trustee and Caretaker on the Board of the Flower Hill Foundation. We also welcome Mr. Daniel Ronan, Executive Director of the Flower Hill Foundation, whose extensive experience in the arts, culture and heritage sectors developed his appreciation for Flower Hill’s legacy of beauty, history and public service.
October 27, 2022 “Downtown Austin Alliance” Bill Brice, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations at the Downtown Austin Alliance
Bill Brice will tell us the work and history of the Downtown Austin Alliance. Brice works to enhance relationships with member property owners of the Alliance. Before joining the Downtown Alliance team in 2003, Brice served as YMCA executive director and director of special events and communications for the Vail Valley Tourism and Convention Bureau.
October 20, 2022 “The Houses of Fredricksburg” Kenneth Hafertepe, Professor, Baylor University; Author
Prior to the Nov 19 Gillespie County Historical Society Christmas Tour, Kenneth Hafertepe, PhD, author of the recent Guide to the Historic Buildings of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County, will speak on “The Houses of Fredericksburg.” The illustrated talk will cover the log, fachwerk, and rock houses that characterized the early years of the community, and also later houses, both from the Victorian era and the early twentieth century.
Hafertepe is a professor of museum studies at Baylor University and an award-winning author on American and Texas architecture and material culture. He has written on the Smithsonian Castle, the French Legation and Governor’s Mansion in Austin, Ashton Villa in Galveston, and the Spanish Governor’s Palace in San Antonio. His books on The Material Culture of German Texans and Historic Homes of Waco, Texas won the Ron Tyler Award from the Texas State Historical Association. A popular speaker, he has presented at the Alamo, the Ft. Worth Amon Carter Museum, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and the San Antonio Witte Museum.
October 3, 2022 “Painted Church Tour” South Central Texas Ted Eubanks
Join us at the Chateau Bellevue parking lot at 8:00 A.M. where we will board a chartered bus. The morning will begin with an introduction by Ted Eubanks as we embark on a tour of these Central Texas landmarks. We will stop for coffee and snacks (not included) returning by 5:00 pm.
Preview Ted Eubanks: www.tedleeeubanksphotography.com
September 22, 2022 “The Global Environment” Keith Shuley, Dykema Gossett PLLC
For over 40 years, Keith Shuley has advised clients seeking to address environmental, construction and complex contracting issues. He is known worldwide. Keith holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the U. of Washington, MBA from UT Austin, Masters of Architecture from Rice, J.D. from U. of Houston and has been on the faculty at UT Austin since 1982. Shuley will show his gorgeous photos of Iceland, why he selected his subjects, and a few photography techniques.
August 11, 2022 “Birds, A Photographic Journey” Isaac Sanchez, Ph.D., UT Austin Professor Emeritus
At 13 years old, Isaac Sanchez became infatuated with birds and to this day remains passionate about birds and bird photography.
A San Antonio native, a St. Mary’s undergraduate and University of Delaware PhD in physical chemistry, Dr. Sanchez joined the Chemical Engineering Dept. at UT Austin in 1988. He was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering in 1997, the highest recognized honor in engineering. He was on the Board of Foundation for the Homeless, a Coordinator of Feed My People, and is an Elder at Westlake Presbyterian.
July 28, 2022 “Mary Magdalene. Saint or Sinner?” Sherry Smith, Art Historian
"There is much to be learned by explained art or, as it is said, a picture is worth 1000 words."
In addition to teaching an Art History survey course at UT Austin for many years, Smith taught at AISD and has lectured around the world on luxury cruise liners. Smith earned her MA from UT Austin.
June 23, 2022 “WHY We Should Plan and HOW” Linnie Phebus, Senior Frost Bank V ice President
Linnie Phebus shares the fundamentals of investing, with clues on how to read the latest news on the markets and economy. Phebus earned her BS in Finance and a MBA. She is a Certified Fund Specialist; Certified Financial Planner, and Certified Exit Planner Advisor. Phebus is active in Estate Planning associations in central Texas.
June 2, 2022 “Lamar's Folly”Jeffrey Kerr, Author and Historian
Jeffrey Kerr shares his recent historical novel "Lamar's Folly" recounting the adventures and misadventures of the second president of Texas. Mirabeau Lamar seeks nothing less than a Texas empire that will dominate the North American continent. Edward Fontaine, who works for and idolizes Lamar, vows to help his hero overcome all obstacles, including the substantial power of Sam Houston. Edwards' slave Jacob likes and admires his master, but cannot share his hatred of Houston. The loyalties of both Jacob and Edward are tested by President Lamar's belief that a righteous cause justifies any means necessary to sustain it.
May 26, 2022 “Restorative Justice” Jose Garza, District Attorney
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has been designing and implementing an innovative data-driven restorative justice program for survivors of crime who are most impacted by our criminal system. DA Garza and FUSE Corps Executive Fellow, Channing Neary, created community and system partnerships and cultivated a national network of support.
May 19, 2022 “Stories of the Native American Flute” Sarah Jane Hargis, Professional Floutist, Recording Artist, and Educator
Sarah Jane Hargis will perform different songs from various Native American tribes, accompanied by stories and fables that inspired them. She will also share Native American flute origins and myths.
March 10, 2022 "How Data and Technology Impact the Lives of Women" Shubbhi S. Rao, Founder and CEO of Uplevyl
Uplevyl is an innovative global digital platform designed to transform the lives of all professional women through shared experiences, peer connections, and highly curated, personalized content. Uplevyl is sharply focused on the unique rhythms of women's lives to inspire and advance a sustainable ecosystem of self-
directed growth and accountability. Uplevyl aims to help all women elevate their professional, personal and financial lives.
Shubhi S. Rao, is a former senior executive with Alphabet Inc./Google, Tesco (U.K.), PricewaterhouseCoopers (U.K.) and Ford Motor Company, among others. She sits on the board of directors for organizations such as the Open Lending LLC, Center for Global Development, International Center for Research on Women and is an Honorary Advisory Council member of the Federal Reserve San Francisco.
March 3, 2022 - 11:30 a.m. "On Barbara Jordan — Leader of the Pack" Carol Schlenk, Educator and Historian
At recent AWC joint meetings with the Austin History Club, the focus has been on women who made a difference. Barbara Jordan leads the pack!
Carol Schlenk is Education Editor Emeritus of Texas Beyond History also has many years' experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum specialist, and teacher trainer as well as her work as education coordinator for the Texas Council for the Humanities. In addition to developing first-rate K-12 curricula for teachers, Schlenk has created interactive games and learning activities for students and has worked as a curriculum specialist with the Texas Education Agency. She has been instrumental in developing and promoting TBH content for K-12 students and teachers since 2005 and continues to consult for Texas Beyond History.
October 21, 2021 "The Impact of the Austin Symphony in the Austin Community" David Pratt, Chief Executive Officer/Director. Austin Symphony Orchestra
David Pratt has over twenty five years of management experience in leadership roles across the performing arts, film and entertainment sectors in the United States and Australia. He is currently the CEO/ Executive Director of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. He held leadership positions with the Savannah Music Festival, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra, Savannah Philharmonic, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.
Pratt will discuss the Austin Symphony Orchestra and its impact in the community as well as highlighting the 2021/22 season.
February 24, 2022 "Mapping the Earth from James Cook to Google Maps" Todd Clayton
"The objectives are the same, only the tools change."
Todd Clayton was in the US Navy as an officer qualified in nuclear powered submarines. He has an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern. He has 30 years of executive marketing experience in the high tech industry in computers and communications. Todd has presented several maritime history lectures to the Austin Woman’s Club.
December 9, 2021 "Austin's Flower Hill Legacy" Rosa Walston Latimer, Author
The story of Rosa Walston Latimer's grandmother, who was a Harvey Girl in New Mexico, sparked her interest in preserving women’s history. This led her to write “Harvey Houses of Texas” followed by “Harvey Houses of New Mexico” and “Harvey Houses of Kansas ” - all published by The History Press.
In these books, according to a review in New Mexico Magazine, “Rosa pays devoted attention to the vibrant inner lives and daily work life of Harvey Girls, transforming what could have been a prim volume into an intimate page-turner.”
Latimer lives in Austin, TX. She is an author, playwright and an award-winning photographer. She writes for national and regional magazines and newspapers; was news editor of a print and an online newspaper and supervising director of a nationally syndicated television program. Latimer also teaches workshops and conducts seminars to help other writers move their projects forward.
November 11, 2021 "UT's Showcase: The Blanton Museum" Simone Wicha, Director of the Blanton Museum — UT Austin
Since becoming director of the Blanton Museum in 2011, Simone Wicha has raised the museum’s profile nationally by bringing Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin to the Blanton, building an exceptional team of curators and educators. Under her leadership, the Blanton has developed groundbreaking exhibitions, reinstalled the presentation of its permanent collection in all of its galleries, diversified and grown its holdings, and nearly doubled its annual attendance. She is committed to strengthening the Blanton's educational mission, and in the past decade the museum has expanded its K–12 and UT Austin partnerships. Classes from every college and department at UT currently utilize the museum as a laboratory.
Re-envisioning the Blanton’s grounds has been a priority of Wicha. She is currently leading a project with Snøhetta (a global transdisciplinary practice) and artist Carmen Herrera to transform visitors’ arrival at the museum and their engagement with outdoor spaces. Wicha is passionate about building arts institutions to achieve excellence. Her twenty-five years of experience as a leader at various arts organizations, includes the Blanton, the Noguchi Museum, The Juilliard School, and the Hispanic Heritage Awards at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
September 9, 2021 "UT's Brackenridge Field Laboratory(BFL). A Most Historic Patch of Nature in a Shining City" Lawrence E. Gilbert Jr. UT Austin Professor of Integrative Biology and Director Brackenridge Field Laboratory
The University of Texas did nothing to earn the ground occupied by the Brackenridge Field Laboratory. How BFL came to be and why it is important to science, education and outreach, is an unlikely tale that intertwines the history of the city of Austin, the original Austin dam, a northerner named George Brackenridge, and the University of Texas. Without the quarry that made the dam, without the dam's collapse, thus smashing Breckenridge's dream to help develop industry for Austin on his tract of land, BFL would not have happened. Gilbert highlights some of the research BFL has fostered and explains important synergism between students, research staff, and faculty enabled so near the campus of a major university.
Lawrence E. (Larry) Gilbert Jr. is UT Professor of Integrative Biology and Director of Brackenridge Field Laboratory. A 7th generation Texan he was born in Laredo in 1942, the son of an oft-moving Presbyterian minister, but his anchor point was his maternal grandparents’ ranches in Dimmit and Webb Counties where he spent summers helping with his grandfather’s bee business and hunting. Larry attended UT Austin where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1966 with Special Honors in Botany. After a Fulbright Fellowship year at Oxford in England, his Ph.D. in Population Biology was from Stanford University in 1971.
July 29, 2021 "What is the Shoal Creek Conservancy?” Ivey Kaiser and Peyton Gardner
Shoal Creek Conservancy (SCC) champions the Shoal Creek Watershed and the Shoal Creek Trail to create a healthy and vibrant community. SCC works year-round to implement community-based visions for Shoal Creek and the Shoal Creek Trail, hosts public tours and volunteer workdays along the creek and partners with local nonprofits and the City of Austin to make the Shoal Creek Trail an accessible, safe and highly connected part of Austin's trail system.
Ivey Kaiser, Executive Director of SCC, grew up in Columbia, South Carolina and moved to Austin in 2011, where she has worked with Keep Austin Beautiful and REI before joining Shoal Creek Conservancy. As Executive Director, Ivey enjoys learning how Shoal Creek has served Austinites for centuries and how we are working to protect and enhance it to serve future generations.
Peyton Gardner, Development Manager, is from Corpus Christi, Texas and recently moved to Austin after spending five years in Marfa working for Ballroom Marfa art museum. Peyton's background is steeped in the arts, but he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and amateur "birder."
July 15, 2021 "The RICH and DIVERSE Narrative of Austin — Our Great City" Charles M. Peveto, Architectural Historian, Texas Historical Commission
Charles Peveto tells the RICH and DIVERSE narrative of Austin. "We need to know where we came from to know where we are going."
Peveto is an architectural preservation historian and collector of early Texas Art. As a preservationist, Peveto serves on the boards of Westgate HOA and the Old Austin Neighborhood Association (OANA). (Austin Woman's Club/Chateau Bellevue is with the OANA boundaries.) Peveto is also a board member the Austin History Center and Preservation Austin.About Shoal Creek Conservancy
May 13, 2021 "Our Austin Story — Saint Mary Cathedral Ted Lee Eubanks, President/CEO. Fermata Inc,
Ted Lee Eubanks will present Our Austin Story, the history of Saint Mary Cathedral, and the interpretive exhibit in Wooldridge Square that memorializes the visit of Booker T. Washington in 1911.
Perhaps best known as a photographer, Eubanks is a certified interpretive planner and a certified heritage interpreter. With his company, Fermata, Eubanks has worked in parks, reserves, and museums in every state and numerous foreign countries — and several recent projects in Austin.
February 11, 2021 "Valentines from Art History" Karen Pope, Art Historian
Pope presents an illustrated history of artistic depictions of love through the ages.
Pope earned her PhD in the History of Art (University of Texas, 1981). She is a specialist in the modern art of Europe and America.
In addition to three decades of academic teaching, docent training, and informal lecture series, Karen offers lecture programs, art museum day trips, and art history-rich study tours in the US and Europe through Art inSight Adventures in Art History.
January 7, 2021 Readings from "A Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas" Stephen Harrigan, Historian and Author
The story of Texas is the story of struggle and triumph in a land of extremes. It is a story of drought and flood, invasion and war, boom and bust, and the myriad peoples who, over centuries of conflict, gave rise to a place that has helped shape the identity of the United States and the destiny of the world.
Stephen Harrigan is a novelist, journalist, historian and screenwriter. He is the author of ten books of fiction and nonfiction including, The Gates of the Alamo, Remember Ben Clayton, and A Friend of Mr. Lincoln.
December 10, 2020 "Master Texas Storyteller" Myra Hargrave McIlvain, Author
Myra McIlvain will give background for her latest books. Beginning with the first wave of German immigrants who arrived on the Texas coast and established Indianola, a seaport that rivaled Galveston. Two sisters are the protagonists in this family saga that traces the development of the town as they confront the horrors of slavery and yellow fever, Civil War and Reconstruction.
After two dreadful hurricanes leave Indianola a ghost town, McIlvain's third book finds the sisters in Washington County. Following the tumult of Reconstruction, political parties vie to regain control of Texas. Amid this historic struggle, family love is challenged when a prosperous merchant/planter admits to his son that the boy's mother was a slave.
McIlvain's most recent nonfiction is a collection of 113 Texas stories of people and events that shaped the Texas landscape such as Cabaza de Vaca known as Texas' first historian and Jean Lafitte the pirate who operated the largest slave market in the new world
on Galveston Island.
Her books include: The Doctor’s Wife, Stein House - a German Family Saga, Waters Plantation, A Long Way Home, Texas Tales, Stories that Shaped a Landscape and People.
November 5, 2020 - 11:30 a.m. "The Zealot and The Emancipator" H.W. Brands, Professor of History, UT Austin; Author
H.W. Brands, a New York Times bestselling historian, turns his attention to the epic struggle over slavery in THE ZEALOT AND THE EMANCIPATOR. With clear parallels to our current moment, Brands offers a dual portrait of John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, two men with radically different views on how moral people must respond to our democracy’s most extreme injustice:by incremental change within the system? Or by radical upheaval?
Brands holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at UT Austin. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, two of which, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.
October 15, 2020 "Stories from the Paramount Theatre: From Houdini to Hepburn & Beyond" Jim Ritts, CEO and Executive Director, Austin Theatre Alliance
Jim Ritts presents the 104-year old history of the Paramount Theatre, including the great performers and the impact on the six generations of Austin citizens who have graced the Paramount Theatre.
Ritts earned his bachelor’s degree from UT Austin and a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University. Austin Theater Alliance is responsible for the Paramount Theatre, State Theatre and Moon-tower Comedy Festival.
July 30, 2020 "Uncovering Galactic Fossils from the Early Universe" Madeline Lucey, UT Austin, Department of Astronomy
Stars are unique artifacts of an ever changing Galaxy. They contain critical information about the Universe and the Milky Way's history through their composition and movement. Uncovering the oldest stars moving through our Galaxy is absolutely critical to understanding the evolution from the Big Bang to our Galaxy today.
These stars, while rare, contain the necessary information about the beginning of the Universe and as such, Lucey has been on a treasure hunt to find and characterize the oldest stars in the night sky. She will discuss her own search for the oldest stars and how machine learning can help us find the needle in the haystack.
Lucey is an NSF graduate research fellow in the astronomy department at UT Austin. She received her B.A. in Physics with an emphasis on Astrophysics from Colorado College in 2018. Currently, Madeline works with Dr. Keith Hawkins on Galactic archaeology. For her thesis, she studies the dynamics and chemical compositions of the most pristine and possibly oldest stars in the Milky Way.
