In 1937 he campaigned successfully for the House of Representatives on a New Deal platform, effectively aided by his wife, the former Claudia "Lady Bird" Taylor. In the 1960 campaign, Johnson, as John F. Kennedy's running mate, was elected Vice President. On November 22, 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, LBJ became the 36th President.
Shortly after assuming the Presidency, Johnson used his legislative prowess to pass two bills that Kennedy had endorsed but was unable to get through Congress at the time of his death: a tax cut and a civil rights act. The latter, which would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, became the first effective civil rights law since Reconstruction, outlawing segregation and discrimination throughout American society. Next he enacted his own agenda, urging the Nation "to build a great society, a place where the meaning of man's life matches the marvels of man's labor." In 1964, with Hubert Humphrey as his running mate, Johnson won the Presidency against Republican challenger, Barry Goldwater, garnering 61 percent of the vote and had the widest popular margin in American history—more than 15,000,000 votes.
Johnson's administration passed more than sixty education bills, initiated a wide-scale fight against poverty, saw federal support of the arts and humanities, championed urban renewal, environmental beautification and conservation, enabled development of depressed regions and pushed for control and prevention of crime and delinquency. Millions of elderly people were also given the means for proper medical care through the 1965 Medicare Amendment to the Social Security Act. Additionally, he appointed the first African American cabinet member and U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.
In December 1968 three American astronauts successfully orbited the moon on Apollo 8, becoming the first to leave earth's orbit, Johnson congratulated them: "You've taken...all of us, all over the world, into a new era."
Under presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy the US had committed to the U.S. war in Vietnam to prevent the spread of communism. Despite Johnson's efforts to end Communist aggression by increasing U.S. troop involvement to leverage a peaceful settlement, fighting continued. Controversy and protests over the war—and Johnson—had become acute by the end of March 1968, when Johnson limited the bombing of North Vietnam in order to initiate peace negotiations. At the same time, he startled the world by withdrawing as a candidate for re-election so that he might devote his full efforts, unimpeded by politics, to the quest to strike an honorable peace.
"I want to be the President who helped to end war among the brothers of this earth."
When Johnson left office, peace talks were underway. He died suddenly of a heart attack at his Texas ranch on January 22, 1973. The day before his death, he had learned that peace was at hand in Vietnam.
When Johnson left office, peace talks were underway. He died suddenly of a heart attack at his Texas ranch on January 22, 1973. The day before his death, he had learned that peace was at hand in Vietnam.
Today we have President Johnson to thank for a great many services and safeguards we take for granted. Click here to see the list of some of the bills President Johnson passed.
Presidential limo LBJ ordered for use after his Presidency, for commuting around Austin and to/from his ranch.
The oval office as it looked during Johnson's presidency
"Lady Bird" Johnson's office.
A copy of the Emancipation Proclamation
Of of 3 surviving stovepipe top hats belonging to Abraham Lincoln.
Four floors of presidential archives.
The Great Hall
Bible on which LBJ placed his hand to be sworn in as President aboard Air Force once, with Jackie Kennedy at his side after JFK's assasination.
On Friday we traveled out to Johnson City and Stonewall, TX to visit the LBJ Ranch and his boyhood home.
LBJ's childhood bedroom
LBJ Ranch
President Johnson had a deep attachment for place and heritage. The LBJ Ranch was where he was born, lived, died, and was buried. After the President's death in 1973, Mrs. Johnson continued to live at the Ranch part time until her death in 2007.
During his presidency, Johnson signed into law almost 300 bills dealing with environmental protection and other resource conservation issues. At the LBJ Ranch, he utilized new ranching practices that demonstrated these stewardship concepts and increased the revenue potential of the ranch. Pastures were fenced to allow grazing rotation, fields were terraced to prevent soil erosion, and "tanks" or ponds were constructed to catch surface water run-off. More than 1,100 acres were planted in improved varieties of grasses such as King Ranch Bluestem, Buffalo grass, Coastal Bermuda, and Alisa grass. Johnson built one of the first liquid fertilizer plants in this area and had the ranch soil analyzed to determine the proper ingredients for the fertilizer.
President Johnson had a deep attachment for place and heritage. The LBJ Ranch was where he was born, lived, died, and was buried. After the President's death in 1973, Mrs. Johnson continued to live at the Ranch part time until her death in 2007.
During his presidency, Johnson signed into law almost 300 bills dealing with environmental protection and other resource conservation issues. At the LBJ Ranch, he utilized new ranching practices that demonstrated these stewardship concepts and increased the revenue potential of the ranch. Pastures were fenced to allow grazing rotation, fields were terraced to prevent soil erosion, and "tanks" or ponds were constructed to catch surface water run-off. More than 1,100 acres were planted in improved varieties of grasses such as King Ranch Bluestem, Buffalo grass, Coastal Bermuda, and Alisa grass. Johnson built one of the first liquid fertilizer plants in this area and had the ranch soil analyzed to determine the proper ingredients for the fertilizer.
Longhorn cattle descended from Johnson's original herd.
He was also an auto enthusiast - this Model T was a gift from Henry Ford II.
LBJ's all-terrain vehicle - a 1930's Ford.
Every year he received a brand new Lincoln Continental convertible from the local dealer in town, always white with tan interior.
He also had a German-built Amphicar that he would play jokes on unsuspecting visitors, pretending the brakes had failed and drive it into the pond.
This 1965 Corvette Convertible was a gift to LBJ's daughter on her 18th birthday, brand new when given to her that year.
The home has its origins in the 1890's as a one-room stone cottage, and has been added on to multiple times to bring it up to its current 8,400 square feet.
Rear view
Front of home, somewhat obscured by trees.
Pool that Lady Bird has installed in the late 1950's.
Most of the people buried in the cemetery are related to Lyndon Johnson. His great grandmother, Priscilla Bunton, was the first person buried here. She passed away on April 28, 1905, during a violent storm, and her family was unable to cross the flooding river to lay her next to her husband in the Stonewall Community Cemetery. The family chose a grove of live oak trees on property belonging to Lyndon Johnson’s grandfather for Mrs. Bunton’s burial site.
The Hereford cattle stand guard at the cemetery.
LBJ's headstone is on the right marked by the US Flag, with Lady Bird's beside him.
Lyndon Johnson took great pride in his heritage and his roots here in the Hill Country of Texas. In order to share that heritage with interested visitors, President Johnson hired architect J. Roy White of Austin, Texas in 1964 to reconstruct the birthplace home. President Johnson and Roy White relied on old photographs of the original birthplace house as well as family members' memories to guide the project. The house represents how Lyndon Johnson wanted us to see his birthplace. Lyndon Johnson's birthplace has the distinction of being the only presidential birthplace reconstructed, refurbished, and interpreted by an incumbent President.
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