The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Reflections
01.22.2015 | Texas Athletics
Former Texas Athletics administrative assistant (1978-96) Charlotte Rayburn passes away at 81.
Photo gallery: Charlotte Rayburn Retrospective
Last Sunday, following a historic NCAA Convention, a late afternoon flight allowed some down time in the spacious lobby of the Washington, D.C., Gaylord National Hotel.
An expansive view of a choppy Potomac River and driving rainstorm provided a good backdrop for reflection.
NCAA members committed to significant additional financial aid for student-athletes—for many, up to cost of attendance—a long-awaited decision by many large land grant institutions and fellow conference members.
At Texas, these additional dollars will be funded from our self-sourced Athletics budget. That budget is entirely sustained by non-tax and non-academic dollars: donations from passionate and loyal donors and ticket customers, media contracts, and sponsorships from well-regarded businesses/vendors who align with our institutional and athletics brands. Collectively, they care deeply about the student-athlete educational/athletics/personal development experience.
These additional dollars will be distributed equitably to our 508 men and women student-athletes per university financial aid policies. That is how it has always been at Texas—every student-athlete's experience is valued the same way, regardless of gender.
So it was with a sharp pang Tuesday we learned that one of the early caregivers of women student-athletes at Texas — Charlotte Rayburn—had passed away at age 81. Charlotte Rayburn worked as an administrative assistant from 1978-96. She was among the very first employees hired shortly after the 1972 landmark law Title IX was implemented by Donna Lopiano, UT's women's athletics director (1975-97).
Lopiano was bold, brash Yankee from Stanford, Conn., a PhD and a visionary, workaholic, and genius. Her wood-paneled office on the sixth floor of Bellmont Hall seemed palatial to us—carpeted, stocked with book cases, the earliest version of an Apple computer, and long windows facing the UT Tower.
The ultimate power position, Lopiano had…..but not even she had the power stick of Char Rayburn.
Rayburn was the gatekeeper of 606 Bellmont, where Lopiano, Jody Conradt and women's athletics' first academic advisor Sheila Rice worked to build a first-class women's athletics program.
In 1982, the first year the NCAA conducted women's sports championships, Bellmont 606 was home base for about 30 employees and 90 talented, All-American, motivated elite female student-athletes. New as we all were to formal university sports business, we all felt safe and secure in Bellmont Hall. After all, the entire UT Police Department at the time was housed one floor above on 7.
And Rayburn was receptionist/greeter/meeting coordinator/facility use grantor/direction giver/behavior monitor and simply grandmama (emphasis on MAMA) to all. Diminutive, grey-haired, and downright southern sassy, Rayburn knew everything pertinent about the employees, but also about all 90 "kids." She ruled 606 Bellmont Hall with wit, love and humor.
She was the first face you saw in the morning on your way to the single Bellmont 606 conference meeting room….and you'd better have a smile on your face, or she'd make you repeat your walk inside the door.
Want to use the four-cup coffee maker? Got to go through Rayburn.
Have a need to beg meeting time with Lopiano or Conradt to explain why you once again needed money for more student help or a new TRS 80 Radio Shack computer for the SID office…one that was shared by you, an assistant, and six student employees? If Rayburn was convinced that was important, she MIGHT let you pass.
Coaches have your kids at work that day? You best drop them by grandmama's desk to let her snuggle them, hug them, and slip them candy.
Rayburn could purposely scare the living daylights out of you, then have you laughing before you left her side.
She had a singing voice from heaven, utilized often at her beloved Austin Skyview Baptist Church choir performances.
But the voice we heard most often was one soothing the coach after a tough loss, boosting a player on crutches after a bad injury, answering a fan's question on the reception phone, or chiding gently the student who was coming out of Dr. Rice's academic office KNOWING she had missed class yesterday with no excuse whatsoever good enough to please Dr. Rice OR Rayburn!
Students would chuckle as they departed 606 Bellmont, left with "Get your fanny to class on time."
I really cannot believe she's gone....but suspect she died of a broken heart.
You see, the Austin couple, Billie and Sidney Shelton, were her good friends. Billie and Sidney were found dead in their quiet north Austin neighborhood home in mid-December—their deaths still the subject of an investigation. The Shelton's daughter, Brenda, also had worked in Texas women's athletics in the 1980s and 1990s as an accounting assistant.
When you work alongside 30 people for 60 to 80 hours a week, you know the definition of family. And families stay connected.
All of us who worked with Brenda were crushed by this news—how to find the words to help ease the pain?
But there was Rayburn, Brenda's long-time friend. Char held and hugged Brenda after that tragedy the same way she cared for our student-athletes and coaches at times.
What measure has friendship over time?
Athletics business is big now, and it's not easy to remember and name all 508 student-athletes and 350 employees.
I wish all of them could have experienced the days when we were smaller and simpler…..when a teammate like Charlotte Rayburn could change your day with a joke a jibe or a smile.
We loved Rayburn.
Shortly before the holidays, I called her to get an address to send Brenda Shelton a card. We chatted awhile, about her grandkids and life. I asked her if she still was able to make any events at UT. She asked if she could bring 20 folks from her church—natives of Haiti—to a Texas Women's Basketball game. "Make it one of those games where you need a lot of people yelling loud," she said.
To the very end, she was a Lady Longhorn fan and loyal to UT.
She left a piece of her heart in every one of us. Rest peacefully, Rayburn...you brought us so much joy, love and laughter.
Comments sent to Texas Athletics from former coaches, student-athletes and employees:
- I am so very sorry to hear of her passing, but grateful that you have kept me in the loop so I would know. The colleagues that we shared during that time at Texas are special, and thoughts of them evoke precious memories.
- She will always be UT women's athletics "mama". She was loved by many. Charlotte always made time to listen and give out hugs.
- Thank you for letting me know. She mothered me through my first five years at Texas! She was the best!
- Before they marketed the concept in a granola bar, Char was the original "Sweet & Salty". Truly one of the people that made the 6th Floor of Bellmont Hall so special.Just hearing her name brings back such wonderful memories.
- She was a guaranteed smile every morning. Wicked sense of humor.
- …so sad to lose such a beautiful lady. She was definitely one of my favorites.
- I'll always remember this biscuits she would make in the oven on the 6th floor right across from my desk....I can still smell them baking! RIP sweet lady....
