Lana Leeds Swanson


Lana Leeds Swanson was a music teacher, among 32 survivors of the deadly 1966 University of Texas Tower shooting rampage when sniper Charles Whitman sprayed the campus with bullets from the observation deck of the 32-story administration building, killing 14 people. Then-21-year-old Lana Phillips was wounded in the shoulder. She became a theatrical musical director and instructor, training young singers, actors, and musicians to professional standards, and organized several children's stage productions and annual Christmas shows for senior citizens. She died of pancreatic cancer in Austin, Texas on February 15, 2009.