Lady Bird Johnson

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, known commonly as Lady Bird Johnson, (born December 22, 1912), is the widow of Lyndon B. Johnson and was First Lady of the United States from 1963-1969.

Early life

She was born in Karnack, Texas to Minnie Patillo-Taylor (1868-1918) and T.J. Taylor. Her nickname of "Lady Bird" originated while she was an infant. A nursemaid commented on her, "She's as pretty as a ladybird." She graduated from Marshall Senior High School in Marshall, Texas and studied journalism and art at St. Mary's Episcopal School for Girls and the University of Texas at Austin.

Marriage and family

She married Lyndon Baines Johnson on November 17, 1934 at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Texas. They had two daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson, wife of Charles S. Robb, and Luci Baines Johnson, who married Pat Nugent and Ian Turpin.

She is known for her love of the environment, which she developed as a child growing up near Caddo Lake in East Texas. She helped convince Texas to plant wildflowers on state highways.

First Lady of the United States

As First Lady of the United States she started a capital beautification project (Society for a More Beautiful National Capital) to improve physical conditions in Washington, DC, both for residents and tourists. Her efforts inspired similar programs throughout the country. She was also instrumental in promoting the Highway Beautification Act, which sought to beautify the nation's highway system by limiting billboards, and by planting roadside areas.

She was an advocate of the Head Start program.

Johnson's press secretary from 1963-1969 was Liz Carpenter, a fellow University of Texas alumna. Carpenter was the first professional newswoman to be press secretary to a first lady and she also served as Lady Bird's staff director.

Later life

In the 1970s after the White House years she focused her attention on Austin, Texas' riverfront area through her involvement in the Town Lake Beautification Project. She founded the National Wildflower Research Center, a national nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and reintroducing native plants in planned landscapes. The center is now known as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. On June 20, 2006, The University of Texas at Austin announced a plan to incorporate the Wildflower Center into the University.

Even while a widow, she was active making public appearances, honoring her husband and other presidents, as did her daughters, and was the most active presidential widow during the 1970s, 1980s, and the early 1990s as Jacqueline Kennedy became unable to attend functions in her final years due to privacy concerns.

In the 1990s however, Mrs. Johnson's health began to fail her. She suffered a minor stroke in August, 1993 and became legally blind due to macular degeneration. Mrs. Johnson was hospitalized for a fainting spell on November 11, 1999. On May 2, 2002 she suffered another stroke and was left unable to speak coherently or walk without assistance. In January of 2005, she spent a few days in an Austin hospital for treatment of bronchitis.

Due to her advanced age and health problems, Mrs. Johnson has largely curtailed her public schedule in recent years. In February 2006, her daughter Lynda Johnson Robb told a gathering at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri that her mother is now totally blind and that she "is not in very good health". Mrs. Robb said that she and her sister Luci Johnson Nugent still read to their mother and talk to her.http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/13834818.htm

At age 93, Lady Bird Johnson is currently the oldest surviving First Lady of the United States, having even outlived one of her successors, Pat Nixon. Only one former First Lady has lived longer: Bess Truman was 97 years of age at her death on October 18, 1982. Mrs. Johnson and Bess Truman are the only First Ladies of the United States to live to the age of 90 years or more. Should Lady Bird Johnson live to or beyond August 26, 2010, she will become the longest living First Lady of the United States.

She was the only living Presidential widow from May 19, 1994 to June 5, 2004; between the death of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the day when Nancy Reagan was widowed.

She has been protected by the Secret Service longer than anyone else in history.

She was an honorary pallbearer for the funeral on May 29, 2006, of former Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. It is unclear whether or not she was actually at the funeral, however.

In popular culture

Lady Bird Johnson Park is located in Washington, D.C.

In the show King of the Hill, Hank has stated that his dog, Lady Bird, was named after Lady Bird Johnson.

Lady Bird Johnson is also a huge supporter of the University of Texas in Austin athletic department. She has received the largest donation of football tickets in 2005 (130 total tickets per game) and the third largest donation of basketball tickets in 2005.

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