PUBLIC CONFERENCE

Since 1980, The Texas Lyceum has held Public Conferences as its primary service to the community and its members. By making one of its quarterly meetings public, the Texas Lyceum provides a trusted venue for nonpartisan discourse and debate about critical issues for the future of Texas.

The First Lyceum Public Conference

In 1980, the Lyceum’s founders realized a need to bring together the various viewpoints present within Texas in a nonpartisan, nonpolitical, and nonadversarial setting to discuss the issues common to vibrant, growing societies, such as water, transportation, and support for education. Thus, the idea for the first Texas Lyceum Public Conference was born, and the initial conference was held at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas.  

Year

Topic(s)

Location

1980

  • Public Role of the Private Sector
  • New Solutions to Economic Problems
  • Texas/Challenges and Opportunities for the 80s

Dallas

1981

  • Regulation and Economic Developments
  • Trading Partners for the 80s
  • Energy Alternatives and Their Impact on the Future of the U.S. Economy

Houston

1983

Texas in Transition

San Antonio

1984

  • Cohesion or Chaos: The Emerging Technology Society
  • The Impact of Technology Industries on Economic Growth in Texas: An Econometric Approach
  • Coping with Change: The Educational Process
  • Wildcatting Technology in Texas

Dallas

1985

The New World—Economic Globalization: The Challenge for Texas

Houston

1986

Economic Transformation— The New Texas Revolution

Austin

1987

Has the Lone Star Lost Its Luster?

San Antonio

1988

International Trade Focusing on U.S./Mexico Relationships

El Paso

1990

Priorities & Decisions: The Texas Agenda for the 90s

Austin

1991

Texas Cities: Where the Buck Stops ...

Dallas

1993

Unconventional Wisdom

Austin

1995

Business, Government & Kids: Forging a Partnership Against Crime

Austin

1997

Vision ’97: Leading Texas Into the 21st Century
(held in conjunction with the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce)

Austin

1998

Texas Works! Creating Jobs and a Better Quality of Life
(held in conjunction with the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce)

Austin

1999

The Year for Business in Texas
(held in conjunction with the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce)

Austin

2001

The Texas Water Policy Conference

Austin

2002

Texas Public Finance Policy Conference

Austin

2003

Children’s Issues

Austin

2004

Healthcare: A Right or a Privilege?

Houston

2005

The Texas High School Diploma: What Is It Worth?

Fort Worth

2006

Harnessing the Lightning: An Economic Growth Summit for Texas

San Antonio

2007

Separation of Church and State—Why?

Austin

2008

Transportation Infrastructure: Establishing Public Policy Priorities

Houston

2009

The 2009 Stimulus Package: What’s In It (or Not) for Texas?

Austin

2011

The Future of Public Pension Funds: Why It Matters to Every Texan

Austin

2012

Healthcare Innovation: The Next Spindletop for Texas?

Houston

2013

Texas Infrastructure: Building the Future

Austin

2014

Money and Banking in Texas: The Impact of Monetary Policy, Too Big to Fail and Banking Regulations in the Lone Star State

Dallas

2015

Keeping the Miracle Alive: Ensuring Texas’ Competitiveness

Austin

2016

The Big Business of Football in Texas

Fort Worth

2017

What Is the Proper Role of Government? Exploring the Tension Between Federal, State and Local Authority

Austin

2018

Code Blue! The State of Texas Healthcare

San Antonio

2019

Texas 2036 Workforce

Austin

2020

At What Price? The Hidden Cost of Housing in Texas

 Waco

2021

The Texas Economy: Wrecked, in Reckoning or Recovery Amidst COVID-19?

Virtual

2022

Texas in the 2020s: Prospects, Pathways, and Power 

Frisco

2023

A Lyceum Look at Elections

Austin