
Austin is fortunate to have an active philanthropic community, from arts to education to personal causes. The latest large-dollar gift is courtesy of Luci Baines Johnson and her husband, Ian Turpin, who donated $1 million to the newly launched LBJ School Washington Center. The Center was established by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, and the gift will create fellowships and internship stipends for students entering its federal policy-focused master's program.
"It was my father's desire for the school that bears his name to provide both academic and practical training of the highest caliber for careers in public service. We believe our gift will do just that by providing our LBJ students a Washington experience that will more fully prepare them to change the world around them for the better,” said Johnson.
Within the gift is the challenge to raise an additional $1 million in matching funds. The inaugural class for the LBJ Washington Center will begin this fall, and the goal of the program is to equip students to work in a demanding public policy environment. Students will spend one year in Austin and six months in Washington, D.C.
She went on to say that the goal of her father, President Lyndon B. Johnson, was “‘to do the greatest good for the greatest number.’ We share his vision and therefore want to challenge LBJ alumni and friends of the LBJ Washington Center to help us achieve that by matching our $1 million gift. Together we can make an immediate impact on the quality of education for a new generation of public servants.”
For more information on donating, in ways such as creating an internship or fellowship, visit
http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/giving/washington.