Tributes to Bernard and Audre Rapoport

Molly Ivins speaking at the dinner honoring B and Audre Rapoport, 2005. Courtesy of Dave Mayfield.
Molly Ivins speaking at the dinner honoring B and Audre Rapoport, 2005. Courtesy of Dave Mayfield.

On February 10, 2005, nearly two hundred people attended a dinner in honor of Bernard and Audre Rapoport and in celebration of the establishment of the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice at UT. Writer Molly Ivins was the master of ceremonies, and many people offered spoken or written tributes to the Rapoports. Some of their words are reproduced below.

“I made a number of good appointments when I was Governor of Texas, but none of them can equal the level of service that the State of Texas received from B Rapoport on the University of Texas Board of Regents. One of the reasons was that it was a ‘two-fer’. I appointed B and I got the talents and dedication of Audre Rapoport as well. Not only have these two people evidenced their commitment to public education through their wise judgment and willingness to give countless hours of their time, but their financial generosity in continuing to give millions of dollars for worthwhile projects is astounding.”
Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas

“Through all the years I’ve known you, you have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to leaving no voice unheard, no inequity unchallenged, and no place or people without real hope for a better tomorrow.”
President Bill Clinton

B Rapoport with President Clinton in the White House, 1994. Courtesy of the Briscoe Center for American History.
B Rapoport with President Clinton in the White House, 1994. Courtesy of the Briscoe Center for American History.

“Through many years, B and Audre Rapoport have been very important friends to the University of Texas. Their generosity and commitment are admirable, and I salute them for this and so much more. As personal friends, I join a host of others who value them beyond measure.”
Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady of the United States

“Audre and B are my kind of Texans—gutsy and generous Democrats and humanitarians. They are great human beings.”
Liz Carpenter, former White House Press Secretary

Bill Powers presents B Rapoport with a rare book of poetry, 2005. Courtesy of Dave Mayfield.
Bill Powers presents B Rapoport with a rare book of poetry, 2005. Courtesy of Dave Mayfield.

“Audre and B Rapoport have been long-time friends of the University of Texas, and the Law School. And they have had a long-time and deep commitment to the underrepresented, to the voiceless, to the powerless…I thank Audre and B for their generosity, for their friendship, and, most of all, for their lives of service, which shine a light on the path before us and guide us to a better way.”
Bill Powers, former Law School Dean and current University of Texas at Austin President