Press Release: Texas Lyceum Honors Founding Member "Skipper" Dippel
PRESS RELEASE
Texas Lyceum Honors Founding Member “Skipper” Dippel with 2025 Stewardship of Texas Values Award
Celebrated Texan recognized for lifetime of civic leadership, vision, and service as Lyceum celebrates 45 years
DALLAS – Sept. 18, 2025 -- The Texas Lyceum, widely considered the Lone Star State’s premier non-profit, non-partisan, statewide leadership organization, proudly honored “Skipper” Dippel with its 2025 Stewardship of Texas Values Award during a special ceremony held on September 18 at the Omni Dallas Hotel. A founder of the Texas Lyceum and a lifelong servant leader, Dippel was recognized for his unmatched contributions to the state of Texas and his embodiment of values the Lyceum holds dear: integrity, imagination, civility, leadership, and a deep love for Texas.
“As one of our founding visionaries, Skipper’s legacy has inspired generations of Texas leaders,” said Texas Lyceum President Crayton Webb. “His tireless work to bring people together in the spirit of service, ideas, and leadership truly defines what this award is all about. It is especially meaningful to celebrate Skipper’s example as we continue our Campaign for Civility, a call for elected officials and everyday Texans to engage in civil discourse and respectful dialogue on important issues affecting the state and the nation.”
Dippel co-founded the Texas Lyceum in 1980 alongside Scott Bennett with a bold vision: to create a nonpartisan forum for emerging leaders to engage in thoughtful dialogue on issues shaping Texas’s future. That vision has endured for 45 years, cultivating leaders across business, government, and the nonprofit sector.
In addition to his foundational role in the Lyceum, Dippel’s impact spans multiple institutions he either founded or helped establish, including the Texas Business Hall of Fame, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Texas Cultural Trust, the Texas Leadership Institute, and the Texas Caring for Children Foundation. He is also the author of six books and has received numerous accolades, including recognition by the Texas Legislature as the “Texas Prophet of Conscience” in 2003.
“I’m deeply humbled to receive this recognition from an organization I love and helped to build,” said Dippel. “The Lyceum has always been about ideas, service, and investing in Texas’ future. I’m proud of what we started, and even prouder of what it’s become: a place where thoughtful, principled Texans can come together to do big things for this great state.”
The Stewardship of Texas Values Award is one of the Lyceum’s highest honors, reserved for individuals who exemplify the organization’s core values and demonstrate a lifelong commitment to the betterment of Texas and its people. Candidate nominations can be submitted by Lyceum Directors in at least their second year and alumni. The awardee is chosen by the majority vote of past chairs.
“Recognizing Skipper Dippel with the Stewardship of Texas Values Award in the same year we celebrate our 45th anniversary feels especially fitting,” said Jordan Cowman, 2025 Stewardship of Texas Values Award Chairman. “This award has been reserved for some of the most respected stewards of Texas’ future — presidents, governors, business icons, and civic giants. Skipper now rightfully joins their ranks. Through his writings and his work, he reminds us that progress comes not from extremes, but from thinking with conscience over convenience, applying the Golden Rule to questions of fairness, and practicing the humility that allows others to be heard and treated with dignity.”
Previous recipients of the Stewardship of Texas Values Award include:
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1988 – Ross Perot 1989 – John Ben Shepperd 1990 – Lt. Governor Bill Hobby 1992 – Herb Kelleher 1993 – Sue and Frank McBee 1994 – Lady Bird Johnson 1995 – George and Ronya Kozmetsky 1997 – Charles LeMaistre 1998 – Lt. Governor Bob Bullock 1999 – Wales Madden 2000 – George Christian 2001 – Senator Lloyd Bentsen |
2003 – Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr. 2005 – Bernard Rapoport 2006 – Red McCombs 2007 – James Dick 2008 – President George H.W. Bush 2009 – Roger Staubach 2010 – Dr. Denton A. Cooley 2012 – Nolan Ryan 2014 – Bob Schieffer 2016 – Governor Mark White 2017 – Ambassador Ronald Kirk 2020 – Dr. Diana Natalicio |
For more information about the Texas Lyceum and the Stewardship of Texas Values Award, please visit www.texaslyceum.org.
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ABOUT THE TEXAS LYCEUM
The Texas Lyceum is the premier non-profit, non-partisan, statewide leadership organization focused on identifying the next generation of top Texas leaders. The organization has 96 active Directors from around the state, and alumni go on to serve our communities, state, and nation in significant ways. Texas Lyceum alumni have served as president of the United States, White House staff, U.S. Senators & House Members, ambassadors, in the Governor’s Mansion, the Texas Legislature, and in corporate leadership. Throughout its 45-year history, the Lyceum has explored topics ranging from education to energy, and criminal justice to banking. The goal of the Lyceum is to inform, engage, and spark debate among Texans about the important issues facing our state. To learn more, visit texaslyceum.org.