LBJ Distinguished Lecture Series
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Distinguished Lecture Series fulfills a promise made at Texas State University by its most distinguished alumnus, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, in 1973. The series brings to reality President Johnson's desire to invite some of the finest minds in the country to the campus to speak.
On his last visit to San Marcos in 1973, President Johnson brought along his former economic advisor, Walter Heller, as the first lecturer of many he wanted to bring to his alma mater. His death came less than a week later, before any plans could be implemented.
President Johnson completed his undergraduate work at Texas State in 1930, receiving a bachelor of science degree with permanent teacher certification. In 1959, while he was still a United States senator, the college named him its first Distinguished Alumnus. In 1962 he received the university's first honorary doctorate. As he moved up in national leadership, President Johnson never lost touch with the university. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Distinguished Lecture Series, initiated in 1982, recognizes the importance of education to the continuing prosperity of the nation, a recurring theme during LBJ's years of government service. He returned to the campus in 1965 as president of the United States to sign the historic Higher Education Act.
Through the series, Texas State hopes to perpetuate the president's high educational ideals by bringing outstanding individuals to campus to meet with students and faculty and to present public lectures.
In recent years, speakers and topics have often been aligned with Common Experience themes.
Past Speakers
2018
Bryan Stevenson
Attorney, author, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative
2017
Dr. Samantha Nutt
Founder and executive director of War Child in North America
2016
William H. McRaven
The University of Texas System Chancellor and retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral
2015
Robert Rodriguez
Film director, screenwriter and producer
2013
Patrick J. Kennedy
Former U.S. representative and co-founder of One Mind for Research
2011
Soledad O'Brien
Award-winning journalist and CNN anchor
2009
Lynda Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson
Moderated by Harry Middleton
2007
Isabel Allende
Author
Erin Brockovich-Ellis
Environmental activist
2005
Maya Angelou
Poet, author and activist
Arnold Mitchem
President of the Council for Opportunity in Education
2004
John Seigenthaler
Founder, First Amendment Center
Tibor P. Nagy Jr.
Former ambassador to Ethiopia and Guinea
2003
Parker J. Palmer
Writer, teacher
Robert Krueger
Former U.S. representative, senator and ambassador
2002
Morris Dees
Co-founder and chief counsel, Southern Poverty Law Center
2001
David Shribman
Washington bureau chief, Boston Globe
2000
Ida Castro
Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
George Christian and Harry Middleton
Former press secretary to LBJ; director of the LBJ Library
1998
Rita Dove
Past poet laureate of the United States
1997
Jim Lehrer
PBS news anchor, author
Jack Valenti
CEO, Motion Picture Association of America
1996
Helen Thomas
White House UPI bureau chief
1995
Richard W. Riley
Secretary of Education
1994
Jake Pickle
U.S. representative
1992
Liz Carpenter
Author, columnist
1991
Larry L. King
Playwright, author
1990
Lukas Foss
Composer, conductor
1989
William S. Sessions
Director, FBI
James Farmer
Civil rights leader
1987
The Next Amendment
Play celebrating 200th anniversary of the Constitution
1986
Keith Best
Member of British Parliament
1985
Dr. James “Red” Duke
Physician, TV personality
William D. Ford
U.S. representative
1984
Bobby Ray Inman
Former director, National Security Agency, and deputy director, CIA
Jim Wright
House Majority Leader
1983
Gerald Ford
Former President of the United States
C. Warren Hollister
Historian, with one of four extant copies of the Magna Carta
1982
W. Thomas Johnson
Publisher, Los Angeles Times, former secretary to LBJ
Barbara Jordan
Former U.S. representative, attorney