Orange Jackets

Orange Jackets is the oldest women's service organizations at the University of Texas at Austin, United States, founded in 1923 as a women's honorary service organization, named for their distinctive orange vests. The official hosts of the university, its three tenets are service, leadership, and scholarhsip.

Orange Jackets is known for their volunteer efforts on campus and in the community. Orange Jackets primary philanthropy is Settlement Home for Children in Austin. At the university they started Parent's Weekend in 1924, originally Dad's and Mother's Day. In 1926 they started the Women's Self Government Association, a now defunct governance body to address women's issues as women started attending college.

Orange Jackets serve as official hosts of the university and are called upon to help host special guests and donors on campus. They are also responsible for leading the Eyes of Texas (UT's Alma Mater) on the field before each home football game.

The organization started the initiative to bring the first female statue – one of Barbara Jordan – to campus. William C. Powers and the Barbara Jordan statue project committee rejected the design and a new call for artists was submitted, scheduled to choose a new design in the spring.^[1][2][3]

The organization also spearheaded efforts to bring emergency police callboxes to off-campus housing areas.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]}

They also because and raised money for the Voices Against Violence Survivors Emergency Fund., a UT program that offers sexual assault counseling and education, after federal funding was cut. They were the first student organization to contribute towards this endowment.^[12][13]

Notable alumnae

• Liz Carpenter
• Lady Bird Johnson
• Florence Shapiro
• Carole Keeton Strayhorn
• Karen Elliott House

References

External links

• Orange Jackets