UT Distinguished Alumnus Awards Ceremony (1964)

Duration: 25:52:00

Year Published: 1964

Sound: sound

Description: This film documents the 1964 Distinguished Alumnus Awards ceremony at the University of Texas at Austin. The event was held in the university’s LBJ Auditorium on October 16, 1964. The awardees are journalist Walter Cronkite, attorney Charles Inge Francis, and First Lady of the United States Lady Bird Johnson. Other attendees include Governor of Texas John Connally, former Governor of Texas Allan Shivers, and Chancellor of the University of Texas System Harry Ransom. During the ceremony, Cronkite also receives the inaugural DeWitt C. Reddick Award, which honors meritorious service to journalism. (DeWitt C. Reddick taught journalism at the University of Texas from 1927 to 1975.) While it does not appear in the footage, a streaker reportedly ran across the front of the stage shortly after Cronkite began his acceptance speech. “I never knew the Secret Service to move so fast,” he later told the Alcade. “An unusual greeting.” Created in 1958, the Distinguished Alumnus Awards recognize up to six alumnae/i each year for their professional achievements and service to the university.They are presented by the Texas Ex-Students’ Association, now known as the Texas Exes. Do you recognize some of the other guests in attendance? Let us know in the comments, or email us at info@texasarchive.org.