The 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973) was the eldest of five children born to Samuel Ealy and Rebekah Baines Johnson on a farm near Stonewall, Texas. Johnson graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos in 1928 and entered Democratic politics. In 1934, he met and married Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor, with whom he had two daughters. Johnson directed the National Youth Administration, before being elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1937 and Senate in 1948. After an unsuccessful run in the Democratic primary, Johnson became John F. Kennedy’s Vice President. Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963 necessitated Johnson’s inauguration as President. Projects of the Johnson presidency included the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Great Society Program as well as the escalation of the Vietnam War. In 1968, Johnson chose not to pursue another presidential term and retired to the Johnson Ranch in Texas.
Source:
Gould, Lewis L. “
Comprised of correspondence, books, literary efforts, photographs, printed material, a speech, and a genealogy, the Lyndon B. Johnson Items, 1942-[1968?], document Johnson’s political career and family. Papers from Johnson’s career in the U. S. Senate include a letter to a constituent (1949) asking for input on government spending and the text of guest column for Texas newspapers (1949) called “Economy Begins at Home.” Materials from Johnson’s presidency consist of books documenting his inauguration (1965) and the establishment of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Archival Depository (1965) and materials related to Texas Democratic organizations and the 1964 election, such as newsletters and mailers from the Dallas Democratic Party and the Texas Voters for Enforcing the Constitution. Photographs and prints depict Johnson alone and with his wife, Lady Bird, while videotapes of the PBS American Experience documentary “LBJ” give a comprehensive view of Johnson’s presidency. Correspondence from Johnson to Joel Nash of Austin and Geoffrey Needler of Denver include discussions on school desegregation, constitutional government, and Johnson lack of interest in running for president. Additionally, the collection includes a genealogy of the Johnson family in Texas, collected by the Blanco County Historical Association.
This collection is open for research use.
Lyndon B. Johnson Items, 1942-[1968?], Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s
Some materials have been separated to the Artifact Collection and Broadsides Collection.
See also
See also Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson Item
See also Johnson Presidential Library Items
This collection processed by William H. Richter, 1966-1967.
Subsequent revisions made by Evan Usler, September 2011, and Maria Soscia, December 2011.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s