Former Congress Members Visit LBJ School Classes

A handful of LBJ School classes were treated to a rare exchange with former members of the U.S. Congress on October 23 as part of the national Congress to Campus Program.

Led by former U.S. Representative J.J. "Jake" Pickle of Austin, 22 former senators and representatives, many of them accompanied by their spouses, participated in informal roundtable discussions with students on issues ranging from Medicaid to nonprofit organizations. The casual setting enabled the former Congress members to reflect on their careers and provide students with behind-the-scenes perspectives on Washington politics.

A nonpartisan organization of former representatives and senators, the United States Association of Former Members of Congress is dedicated to promoting an improved understanding of the role of the U.S. Congress as well as the crucial importance of representative democracy, both domestically and internationally. In addition to the Congress to Campus Program, the association coordinates programs to assist emerging democracies, international legislative/democracy training, foreign policy seminars, congressional study groups on Germany and Japan, and study missions to Cuba.

In honor of the event, Lady Bird Johnson made a special visit to Professor Curtis Meadows' class on philanthropy. Former Congress members who attended Meadows' class included Tom Bevill (Ala.), Jack Hightower (Tex.), Robert Kastenmeier (Wis.), Shirley Pettis (Cal.), Richard Schulze (Pa.), and James Wright (Tex).

Professor Victoria Rodríguez's Policy Development class hosted Kent Hance (Tex), Ernest Konnyu (Cal), Matthew McHugh (N.Y.), James Scheuer (N.Y.), and Joseph Wyatt (Tex.).

Visitors to Professor David Warner's class "Health Care Economics and Health Care Finance" included James Dunn (Mich.), Louis Frey (Fla.), Eligio de la Garza (Tex), Catherine Long (La.), J.J. "Jake" Pickle (Tex.), and Graham Purcell (Tex.).

Professor Richard Schott's Public Administration and Management class was visited by Jack Brooks (Tex.), Cardiss Collins (Ill.), James Harvey (Mich.), Manuel Lujan (N.M.), William Patman (Tex.), and William Sarpalius (Tex.).

To learn more about the United States Association of Former Members of Congress, visit http://www.usafmc.org.

October 25, 2000

J.J. "Jake" Pickle and Kika de la Garza share a laugh between classroom visits during the Congress to Campus program.

Lady Bird Johnson visits with students of Professor Curtis Meadows' philanthopy class.

News and Events • Fall 2000 News Briefs

©2000 Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
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October 25, 2000

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