Jane Carlisle Maxwell

1942 - 2024

Jane Carlisle Maxwell, Ph.D, 5/28/1942-1/3/2024, was the daughter of James Newton Carlisle and Elizabeth Gordon Carlisle. She was a 4th generation Austinite who moved to Salisbury, NC, in 2016 to be near family. A passionate advocate for education, she received her undergraduate and master's from the University of South Carolina and was the second PhD graduate (and first female) of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. She was Research Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin.

Her field of specialization was tracking trends in alcohol and drug use and the need for substance abuse treatment. She was a Fulbright Senior Specialist and authored over 80 journal articles. Known by her friends and family as "Dr. Dope," she testified before Congress on methamphetamine addiction, and served on numerous federal agency expert panels as well as many international scientific collaborations in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. She was an early voice against expansion of prescription opioids during FDA drug approval. She was also involved in research understanding AIDS and drug transmission, and a strong friend to the LGTBQ+ community.

She is survived by her son, James Carlisle Maxwell, and his wife Karla Raettig, two grandsons, John Carter Maxwell and Colin DuBreuil Maxwell, her sister, Kay Ash, and her nieces, Cheryl Louise Smith, Deanna Jane Ash Devore, and Melissa Ann Ash Csongei, and their families. She was predeceased by her sister, Ann Carlisle Silber. She was an active member of St. David's in Austin and St. Luke's in Salisbury.

Services at St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin , TX on January 27 at 1 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. David's or the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance.

Summersett Funeral Home is serving the Maxwell family. Online condolences may be made at www.summersettfuneralhome.com.