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| Lady Bird Johnson |
| Mrs. Johnson was born Claudia
Alta Taylor in the East Texas town of Karnack on December 22, 1912. Her
father, Thomas Jefferson Taylor, was owner of a general store. Her mother,
Minnie Pattillo Taylor, died when Claudia was five years old, leaving the
little girl and her two older brothers, Tommy and Tony, in the care of
their father and their Aunt Effie. Legend has it that a nursemaid said
Claudia was “as purty as a lady bird”; the sweet nickname suited her and
stuck for life. Mrs. Johnson graduated from Marshall High School in 1928 and attended Saint Mary's Episcopal School for Girls in Dallas from 1928 to 1930. She then entered The University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 1933 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and in 1934, with a Bachelor of Journalism with honors. She met the tall, ambitious man whom she would marry when he was a Congressional secretary visiting Austin on official business. Lyndon Baines Johnson courted Lady Bird Taylor with all the single-minded energy he would later bring to elected office. They were engaged just seven weeks after their first date and married in November 1934. Mrs. Johnson recalled that “sometimes Lyndon simply [took] your breath away.” Her life with Lyndon Johnson was one of such achievement in politics, business and philanthropy it left those around them breathless, too. Lady Bird Johnson is probably best known for her support of her husband’s career. When Lyndon Johnson volunteered for the U.S. Navy in World War II, Mrs. Johnson ran his Congressional office, serving constituents’ needs in every way except voting. Her support for her husband’s political career continued throughout his years in government. She campaigned actively for his race for the Congress, Senate, vice presidency and presidency. In 1960, covered 35,000 miles for the Kennedy/Johnson ticket, and in 1964, she campaigned independently on a whistle-stop train throughout the South for the Johnson/Humphrey ticket. President Johnson paid her the highest of compliments, saying he thought that the voters “would happily have supported her over me.” While
President Johnson was still in office, Mrs. Johnson played a key role in
the plans to build the LBJ Library and Museum and the LBJ School of Public
Affairs in Austin, Texas. The Library is in the process of building the
Lady Bird Johnson Center, consisting of educational classrooms and outdoor
landscaping. After the Johnsons’ White House years ended in 1969, Mrs.
Johnson authored A White House Diary, a memoir that drew on her
considerable skills as a writer and historian. “I was keenly aware that I
had a unique opportunity, a front row seat, on an unfolding story and
nobody else was going to see it from quite the vantage point that I saw
it.” She also co-authored Wildflowers Across America with Carlton Lees. Today, perhaps most people think of Lady
Bird Johnson as the reason why we see wildflowers blooming along the
nation’s highways and fewer junkyards and billboards. The Beautification
Act of 1965 was one tangible result of Mrs. Johnson’s campaign for
national beautification. Known as “Lady Bird’s Bill” because of her active
support, the legislation called for control of outdoor advertising,
including removal of certain types of signs along the nation's Interstate
system and the existing federal-aid primary system. It also required
certain junkyards along Interstate or primary highways to be removed or
screened and encouraged scenic enhancement and roadside development. |
©2007 Genealogy Trails