News

TAP Remembers Elspeth Davies Rostow

The Austin Project is deeply saddened by the passing of our co-founder Elspeth Rostow, Sunday December 9, 2007. "Elspeth Rostow’s vision of the possible, her can-do attitude, and conviction gave her the energy to pursue objectives both grand and small", said Donna Hagey, Executive Director of The Austin Project. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to her family and friends along with our gratitude for all that she gave over an extraordinary life."

Memorial Service
Friday, December 14, 3:00 p.m.
Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home
3125 N Lamar Blvd

A brief visitation has been scheduled for 6:00-8:00 p.m., Thursday at the funeral home.

Her family has requested in lieu of flowers donations be made to The Austin Project.

Elspeth was a great lady and a great friend of all. The concern that she and Walt Rostow had for the less fortunate people in our community led to the founding of The Austin Project and other initiatives that will bless many children and young people for years to come.

An internationally recognized expert on national politics and U.S foreign policy, Rostow served as Dean of the LBJ School from 1977 to 1983. Prior to that she served as Dean of the UT Austin Division of General and Comparative Studies. She has also taught at Barnard, Sarah Lawrence, MIT, Georgetown, American University, and the University of Cambridge. At the LBJ School, Rostow who most recently served as Stiles Professor Emerita in American Studies and Professor of Government, taught courses on the American Presidency and U.S. foreign policy.

Rostow served as a member of the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations and the President's Commission for a National Agenda for the Eighties. In 1987, President Reagan appointed her to the Board of the United States Institute of Peace, which she later chaired. Rostow was a Trustee of the Southern Center for International Studies (Atlanta) and a former member of the Board of Advisors to the President of the Naval War College (Newport). She also served as Trustee of the National Academy of Public Administration. In 1983-84 she lectured in thirty-four countries under the auspices of the Fulbright program and the U.S. Information Agency. For five years she was an editorial columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. In 1991 she and Walt Rostow cofounded The Austin Project (TAP).

Together the Rostows took their national and internatinoal careers and applied their wisdom and energy to urban and local issues. Their goal was for all children to have equal opportunities for a healthy childhood, a good education, and a bright future. The Rostows galvanized the Austin community, many of its most prominent community and academic members to launch TAP. They promoted a broad scope approach emphasizing prevention initiatves and the importance of grassroots engagement of neighborhoods to develop priorities and solutions to barriers and obstacles to safe, healthy and productive communities.

New Web Site Coming

The Austin Project is building a new website to provide more information more easily and quickly, making it easier to partner with you to effect greater change. Watch for it in early 2008.

The Austin Project's
2007-2008 Contributors

Principal Partners
AT&T
Rogge Capital Management, LP
Elspeth & Ann Rostow

Sustaining Partners
Austin Found
Friends of Charles Barnett
Friends of Ira Iscoe
Friends of Bev Kearney
Friends of Jamie Pennebaker
Seton Family of Hospitals

Leaders
Ascension Health
Four Seasons Hotel Austin
Friends of the Priscilla Pond Flawn Child & Family Lab
The Inman Family Foundation
LBJ Asset Management Partners
MFI Foundation
Sandy & Paul Rogge
The Family of Ralph E. Rostow
Victoria, Ronald H. & Millie C. Rostow
Dorothy & Robert Rutishauser
Harriet Rutland
UT Medical Branch-Austin Programs
Wells Fargo Bank

Advocates
Austin Community College
Austin Diocese
CFAR Center for Applied Research
Capitol Anesthesiology Association
Catellus Development Group
Child, Inc.
Frost
Grafico Design
HEB Humana
SACHEM, Inc - John &
Kay Mooney
Seton Board of Directors St. David's HealthCare
Stepping Stone School -
Rhonda & Bill Paver Family Foundation
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas System
Texas Gas Service
Texas Hospital Association
United Way Capital Area
ViaNovo on behalf of
Matthew Dowd, Billy Moore,
Mike Shannon & Blaine Bull

TAP Fellows & Friends
Cody Brady & Christopher King
Eleanor B. Crook
Elizabeth Crook & Marc Lewis Elizabeth Christian & Bruce Todd
Mary Ellen & Mike Clifford
Jose Del Valle
Chrys Dougherty
Joan & Wayne Holtzman
Aletha Huston
Ronya Kozmetsky
Lowell Lebermann
Lower Colorado River Authority
Rebecca & Stephen McCleery
Sue Meller
Mary Morse
Barbara Rudd
TateAustin Feed & Seed Fund
The Screamer Company
Kathryn & Thomas Williamson

The Austin Project Fellows program is a multiple-year major gifts initiative to support TAP's role as a catalyst for new iniatives. The Rostow Challenge is a challenge grant pledged by the Rostow Family with the Inman Family Foundation.

TAP is a 501(c)(3) corporation, tax #74-263-4835

Dear Friends and Neighbors: The 2006-07 school year was an excellent year for The Austin Project (TAP). TAP continued its legacy of incubating new initiatives, growing new alliances, and bridging service sector programming with new frontiers for capacity building in the greater Austin and Central Texas community.
You are invited to read more about the progress and programming in each of our focus areas. It is thanks to your ongoing generous support that TAP has so much to share you here and with the Austin Community.

TAP Welcomes New Executive Director

Staff Update:

Donna Hagey is TAP's new Executive Director. Hagey has extensive regional and national background in human services in both management and direct service positions; and has worked with civic engagement and service-learning initiatives for institutions of higher education as a consultant and passionate advocate. Welcome Donna!

Jose Del Valle stepped down as Executive Director in August and is now serving as an Advisor. Jose's accomplishments are extensive; he will be missed.