San Marcos — The Lyndon Baines Johnson Museum of San Marcos will host its second “Open Mic Night” session at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the museum.

“At the first session held in September, we had three people share their LBJ memories with us,” says Museum Director Scott Jordan, adding “We know there are others out there who have LBJ memories, anecdotes, opinions and impressions, and we are anxious to hear them.”

The memories and impressions - which will be recorded and transcribed - will be added to the formal oral histories collected for the currently displayed Oral History Project Exhibit that was developed in collaboration with Texas State University-San Marcos.

Partial funding for the exhibit was provided by a grant the university received from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The theme of the exhibit is “Remember-ing LBJ and His Legacy: Local Recollections - An Oral History Project.” Museum Director Scott Jordan says the major components of the exhibit will remain in place until May 1, 2009.

The exhibit, which includes audio clips, photographs, memorabilia and selected text from transcripts of interviews with 48 individuals conducted by history graduate Barbara Thibodeaux, opened Aug. 24.

The public opening followed a special invitational preview reception hosted by Texas State President Denise Trauth the afternoon before that attracted around 100 guests, including members of the late President's family.

Jordan said the idea for the “Open Mic Night” came after several people stopped by the museum's display at the community's Texas Natural and Swing Festival this past May. By then, it was too late to add individuals with stories to tell to the formal oral history project interview list, but it seemed important to collect their stories, too, museum officials said.

On Aug. 27, the nation celebrated President Johnson's centennial birthday. Although the national celebration culminated with the date of his birth, Texas State will keep the LBJ focus in academic work and special programming throughout the 2008-2009 academic year.

The university's Common Experience program, which has for the past four years adopted a specific theme for a cross-discipline academic and special event focus for the year, has chosen “Civic Responsibility: The Legacy of LBJ” for this year's focus.

Texas State remains the only Texas school to graduate a U. S. President.

For more information about the “Open Mic Night” event and the Oral History Project Exhibit, as well as other LBJ Museum of San Marcos projects and opportunities, call Museum Director Jordan at 353-3300.

There is no charge for admission to the museum, which is located at 131 North Guadalupe Street on the square in downtown San Marcos. Regular museum hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Jordan is also available to take the museum's “traveling trunk” to schools, community organizations and special events.