Plaza dedicated to Austin icon Pat Crow

Family and friends of the late Pat Crow, including many of the public officials she helped to elect, gathered Friday at the Old Bakery and Emporium to dedicate the plaza to her. Crow, who died in 2017, was a political activist before she became an operative in 34 political campaigns. She was victorious in 30 of those, including the passage of the Save Our Springs Ordinance in 1992.

Crow also pulled her sister, Barbara Rush, into politics by giving her a job in Brigid Shea’s City Council campaign in 1993. Rush now serves as aide to Shea. Crow worked with political consultant David Butts – currently consulting for the campaign of Mayor Kirk Watson – for 25 years.

Among those attending to cheer the naming of the plaza were U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, state Rep. Sheryl Cole, Travis County commissioners Brigid Shea and Jeff Travillion, and a number of judges, including 455th District Judge Laurie Eiserloh, County Court at Law No. 7 Judge Elisabeth Earle, retired District Judge Lora Livingston and Probate Court No. 2 Judge Nicholas Chu.

Bill Bunch of Save Our Springs Alliance was on hand, as were former Council members Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo, currently a candidate for mayor.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department owns the bakery and the plaza. Rush said attorney Rick Cofer, former vice chair of the Parks and Recreation Board, was instrumental in organizing the effort to dedicate the plaza to Crow.