FROM THE PRESIDENTDear Texas Lyceum Friends,As the Texas Lyceum enters its 45th anniversary on the heels of one of the most tumultuous election seasons in modern American history, there is no question the mission and purpose of the Lyceum is needed now more than ever. In fact, it is critical. In 2025 the Texas Lyceum will launch a public-facing Campaign for Civility where we will call on elected officials and citizens at the local, state and federal levels to adopt the Lyceum’s core values and principles which have stood the test of time and, indeed, are at the cornerstone of our democracy:
While we will pursue this public presence and posture outside the Lyceum family in 2025, in celebration of our 45th anniversary, we will also focus internally – specifically in an effort to recognize our incredible network of extraordinary and distinguished alumni. We are dubbing 2025 the Year of the Alumni and will be integrating alumni recognition opportunities in all of our plans. This will manifest itself perhaps most notably with the return of the Stewardship of Texas Values Award. This longstanding alumni-led Lyceum tradition will reignite an opportunity for alums to not only gather together in person but also to work with current directors to recognize a notable Texan worthy of distinction. We are also calling on alumni this year to serve as Honorary Alumni Chairs of each of our five meetings in 2025, including our optional meeting which will take the Lyceum out of the country for the first time since 2019. Those conferences will also require the current directorate to put its metal to the test – to walk the talk, if you will – as we practice and engage in civil discourse taking on difficult public policy matters including:
In addition to our programs, the Lyceum will release the results of our nationally acclaimed Texas Lyceum Poll at a special news conference during the Texas Legislative Session in April. We will continue to showcase innovative research at our conferences from our Texas Lyceum Fellows from the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech University and Texas Southern University. Whether you are a director, alumni, guest, friend or family of the Lyceum, I not only invite you, but ask you to join us in 2025. We need you. We need the Lyceum. We need constructive civil discourse to win the day to ensure our democracy and the great State of Texas continues to thrive during our lifetime and for generations to come. And we need engagement that goes deeper than ever before. It is critical! The Lyceum is critical. Now more than ever. On a personal note – I am so incredibly excited and honored to be your president in 2025. It is a privilege to work with such an impressive group of leaders who make up our directors and alumni and to lead an organization with such an incredible heritage of impact. Thank you for this opportunity. We can, must and will accomplish great things together called to action by a time that will settle for no less. All my very best,
Crayton W. Webb
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