LBJ MUSEUM OF SAN MARCOS
The LBJ Museum’s Summer Chautauqua, scheduled for Thursday, July 17, will feature Jade Emerson, reporter, writer and host of “Lady Bird” podcast.
In its third year as part of the museum’s yearly lecture series, the Summer Chautauqua has proven to be very popular. In the late 1800s and early 20th century, the Chautauqua was an institution that provided popular adult education courses and entertainment. San Marcos was the site of a pretty famous Chautauqua in the early 1900s and their summer camp format proved very popular for families. The name has staying power with Texas State University as Old Main sits on Chautauqua Hill and there is a student residence called Chautauqua Hall.
Jade Emerson is the reporter, writer and host of “Lady Bird,” a multi-part podcast about the life and legacy of former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson. Like Lady Bird, Emerson grew up in a small town in Texas. Her life continued to parallel Lady Bird’s as a journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin. It was there that she first began to work on the podcast at The Drag, the university’s audio production house. Jade spent the next two years learning about Lady Bird’s world through extensive research at the LBJ Library and interviews with the people who knew and loved her. Jade traveled across the country on reporting trips to places, including Washington D.C. and Lady Bird’s hometown in East Texas. She fell in love with Lady Bird’s voice, spending hours listening to the oral history tapes Lady Bird recorded — many of which were previously unheard.
Jade Emerson
Her work culminated in the “Lady Bird” podcast released in June of 2023 to local and national coverage. Jade has also written about Texas ranching and the environment for NPR, and her personal essays have been published in Fort Worth’s women’s magazine.
In her free time, Jade can be found with her head in a book, taking notes in her journal, or pointing out wildflowers on her walks through her Austin neighborhood.
The 2025 Summer Chautauqua is scheduled at the Museum on Thursday, July 17, beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by the presentation at 6:30 p.m. This presentation is free and open to the public, however the museum asks that one registers through the website at lbjmuseum.com/events/ summer-chautauqua to reserve your space.
