Tower Lighting Marks Milestone Anniversary for Plan II

The Tower at The University of Texas at Austin will be lit burnt orange and emblazoned with a giant "75" to mark the 75th anniversary of the Plan II Honors Program, one of the premier honors programs at the university.

When: Friday, March 25 after sunset (about 8 p.m.)

Where: The Main Building, The University of Texas at Austin

Excellent visuals for print and television media. Interviews with Plan II faculty or students can be scheduled in advance.

Background: Founded in 1935, Plan II serves as a small liberal arts college in a giant university. It enrolls about 200 freshmen each year and offers a curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics and other disciplines. The tower lighting marks the start of a weekend celebrating the program's 75th anniversary. Hundreds of alumni will return to campus for the reunion to reconnect with one another, honor the program and take mini-courses from long-time professors.

Other anniversary events that are open to the media where alumni and faculty can discuss Plan II's impact include:

• Dinner and social at Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, Friday, March 25, 7-9p.m.
• A "Meeting of the Minds" discussion on national security featuring former University of Texas Chancellor Hans Mark, History Professor H.W. Brands, Law School Professor Sanford Levinson and Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs Professor Bobby Inman. It will be held at the Texas Union Ballroom, Saturday, March 26, 2-3:30 p.m.

Notable Plan II alumni include Diane Wood, a federal appeals court judge who was on President Barack Obama's short list for the Supreme Court; Betty Sue Flowers, the former director of Plan II and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum; Austin Ligon, founder of CarMax auto dealerships; and Veronica Vargas Stidvent, a former deputy labor secretary under President George W. Bush and a faculty member in the McCombs School of Business.