I didn’t know much about Lady Bird Johnson other than her focus on wildflowers before this past month’s Booking It Through History: First Ladies project research. She is associated with so much in the cultural zeitgeist like the ill-fated presidential trip to Texas where President Kennedy was assassinated and the protests over the Vietnam War, but her impact is more far-reaching and inspiring.
Each month, I’ll detail the life of the first lady and their legacy. Then I’ll share what I learned while studying them, along with ways you can travel in their footsteps through historical sites and museums. I’ll also share books, podcasts, TV shows, and websites where you can learn even more about that first lady. Read all of the way through the blog post or click on the links below to go straight to those sections.
Life
Childhood
Claudia Alta Taylor was born on December 22, 1912 in Karnack, Texas to Thomas and Minnie Taylor, the only daughter after two sons. Thomas was a rough-and-tumble farmer and merchant, becoming the richest man in the county. Just before the birth of his daughter, he purchased a plantation in east Texas for his Southern belle wife and called it “the Brick House.”
Little Claudia was raised by her father’s black servants as her mother was sickly with migraines and depression. One of these servants gave her the nickname of “Lady Bird” and she went by that for the rest of her life. Minnie’s health didn’t improve, and when she fell down a flight of stairs while pregnant in 1918, she didn’t have enough strength to survive. Little Lady Bird was just five years old and had no memories of her mother. Her two brothers who were away at boarding school weren’t even told of their mother’s death for months.
Her aunt Effie came from Alabama to help raise Lady Bird, often taking her back to her home state for the summers. Her aunt also suffered from poor health, so she took eleven-year-old Lady Bird to the Kellogg Sanitarium in Michigan where Lady Bird took her first flight (standing up on a prop plane while strapped in!).
As Lady Bird went through the local schools, she realized how different she was with her dead mother and bombastic father. She kept to herself and had few friends, spending most of her time exploring the east Texas bayous and fields. Her father remarried a woman not much older than Lady Bird and had a volatile relationship with her.
Lady Bird escaped her rambunctious home by moving to nearby Jackson, Texas for high school. She and aunt Effie lived with the leader of the local garden club in this very Southern town. It was here that she got her first boyfriend who called her one of the most determined people he ever met. She still spent her summers in Alabama with lots of freedom to travel and wander.
In 1926, she moved back home to attend a local school, graduating at fifteen. She excelled in academics (purposely letting her grades slip so she didn’t have to give a graduation speech!), but she had trouble with the social dynamics. With her signature Taylor hook nose and dowdy clothes, she wasn’t popular. She seemed to have acknowledged this by writing (hopefully tongue-in-cheek) that her life’s ambition was to be an old maid.
She attended summer school at the University of Alabama and then attended St. Mary’s Junior College in Dallas where she converted to the Episcopal faith. She did well in all classes except the sciences and even appeared in two plays.
In the fall of 1930, she enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin, a town in which she immediately fell in love.
“It was as though the gates of the world flung open for me. I felt in love with life itself.” Lady Bird Taylor on seeing Austin, Texas for the first time
Instead of living in the large dorms, Lady Bird took a room in a small boarding house and threw herself into her studies. She never flaunted her wealth and shared her car and things with her roommates, finally making life-long friends (along with having many boyfriends!). She graduated in 1933 with a degree in history and added a journalism degree in 1934.
After graduation, she traveled with a friend, taking a boat from Houston to Miami to New York and finally Washington, DC. Another friend had told her to look up a fellow Texan working for a congressman in DC named Lyndon Baines Johnson, but Lady Bird was too busy seeing another male friend there that she never did.
Courtship
A few months later on August 31, 1934, a mutual friend introduced Lady Bird to Lyndon. He was there to meet up with another date but was instantly smitten with Lady Bird instead. He asked her to meet him for breakfast the next morning at Austin’s Driskill Hotel. She agreed but almost changed her mind. The date ended up lasting all day as they drove around Austin and ended in a proposal! Lady Bird liked his ambition and perseverance.
She met his family a week later, and she took him to meet her father. Their courtship lasted ten weeks and was conducted mainly over the phone and through letters as Lyndon was in Washington. His letters were persistent – “Honey, don’t be so long between notes.” He quit law school at Georgetown and drove to Texas to ask her to marry him again. This time, she said yes.
She is the “smartest and most deliberate little girl in all the world.” Lyndon Johnson
Marriage
On November 17, 1934, they fled her father’s house in Lyndon’s convertible and eloped to San Antonio. Lyndon pulled favors to get a church location, and she called a local friend to be her maid of honor. It happened so fast that he didn’t even have a ring and she had to wear a dress she already had – a lilac gown.
The newlyweds took the train to Monterrey, Mexico the next day and then traveled to Mexico City. Lady Bird got an introduction to her new life when Lyndon spent most of honeymoon talking about work.
Their new life together started in Washington where they lived in a small apartment after spending a few weeks sharing a bathroom with other guests in Lyndon’s boarding house. Lady Bird had never done chores or kept house before and slowly learned, especially how to keep Lyndon happy. He demanded coffee in bed every morning, and she did so happily.
“I adored him.” Lady Bird Johnson
He demanded loyalty while she took care of his every need. She got from him her freedom, a way out of the lonely, isolated world of her childhood home.
Texas
In 1935, Lyndon got a new job as the National Youth Administration director for Texas and they moved back to Austin. Lady Bird loved being home and brought aunt Effie to live with them. Helping Lyndon with his job as they traveled around the state gave Lady Bird her first idea of what would become her signature project of roadside parks and wildflowers.
It was at this time that she would experience heartbreak as Lyndon began what would be the first of many long-lasting affairs. It was made worse that it was with a mutual friend with whom Lady Bird had to socialize. She was humiliated but fought back, losing weight and wearing more stylish clothes. She also began her quest to give Lyndon a child.
Political Wife and Motherhood
Lyndon first ran for Congress in a special election in 1937 when a congressman died, using Lady Bird’s money that she negotiated from her father. He won and went to DC without her. He ran for Senate in 1941 but lost. She went back with him to Washington and ran his Congressional office, giving tours and learning the social rules for Congressional wives, making friends everywhere.
With the advent of WWII, Lyndon joined the Navy and left his office in Lady Bird’s hands. She wrote letters and even got him reelected while he served overseas! She began a new business venture on December 31, 1942 when she bought a small radio station in Austin. She used her inheritance from her mother’s estate to become a multimillionaire – the only First Lady in history to do so. She also used her money to purchase their Washington home herself.
Once Lyndon was home, she tried to get pregnant, undergoing a surgery to result in a successful pregnancy. She gave birth on March 19, 1944 to their first daughter, Lynda Bird. Three years later on July 2, 1947, a second daughter, Lucy (Luci) Baines, joined them. The girls lived half of the year in DC with their parents and the other half of the year in Austin with a nanny.
Growing up motherless, Lady Bird didn’t know how to mother and neither she nor Lyndon spent much time with the children as Lyndon and his career came first. They were loving parents, but their lives were dedicated to public service.
Senate Wife
Lady Bird helped with Lyndon’s 1948 Senate campaign, forming a women’s auxiliary and traveling around the state via helicopter. She was run off the road in a car accident before one event, but she kept going, the only giveaway to her ordeal being her torn stockings! Lyndon won and went back to DC victorious in 1949.
They kept their roots in Texas and purchased a family ranch in Texas Hill country, near Lyndon’s family land (Lady Bird and the girls were caught in a terrible flood there). She also bought a TV station to go along with the radio station.
Lyndon also continued his philandering ways, having another affair. Lady Bird knew and had to accept it even when he paraded his women in front of her. She was devoted to him even amidst his mistreatment and even befriended some of the women.
When he became Senate majority leader in 1955, Lady Bird ruled over the other Senate wives (like future first lady, Jackie Kennedy). She made sure the cafeteria served Texas-shaped burgers and loved political debates over policy. Six months after his election to majority leader, Lyndon had a heart attack and Lady Bird stayed by his side.
1960 Campaign
As the 1960 election came closer, Lyndon decided to run for president but was defeated by fellow Senator John F. Kennedy. Lyndon accepted the vice presidential nomination, and he and Lady Bird traveled to Massachusetts to meet with the Kennedys. Lady Bird was asked to lead the campaign’s outreach to women since Jackie was pregnant. Jackie observed that Lady Bird followed Lyndon around and took notes like a secretary; Lady Bird wanted to be part of the political action while Jackie hated it. The women got along, though, with Lady Bird’s Southern manners easing the way.
“Lady Bird would crawl down Pennsylvania Avenue over splintered glass for Lyndon.” Jackie Kennedy
The campaign came up with a trip for Lady Bird, sending her out with the other Kennedy women to tea parties and receptions. At one event, she shook the hands of over 5,000 people! She delivered 65 speeches and traveled 35,000 miles, joining Lyndon on 150 of his stops.
Her only break from campaigning was when her father became sick. She went to Karnack to be with him as he died on October 22, 1960. When the will was read, it was a shock that he only left her a small piece of land in Missouri, leaving the majority of his estate to his third wife who didn’t like Lady Bird. She was effectively banned from her childhood home until her stepmother died in the 1990s.
The campaign wasn’t easy as Lady Bird had to deal with angry women in Texas. A mink-coated mob even spit on her! Unlike the public’s fascination with Jackie’s fashion choices, Lady Bird focused on real issues like healthcare and the importance of women to the Democratic Party. She was down to earth and resembled ordinary Americans.
When the Kennedy/Johnson ticket won, someone said, “Lady Bird carried Texas for the president.” The Johnsons bought a new DC home called The Elms to serve as their vice presidential home.
After the inauguration, Lady Bird attended any function that Jackie didn’t want to do. The newspaper said she was the “best pinch hitter in town.” In the first year alone, Lady Bird substituted at fifty different functions. She traveled to 33 countries and 120,000 miles as Second Lady.
“My role was to be an extra pair of eyes and ears for Lyndon.” Lady Bird Johnson
The president’s staff fought with the Johnson staff, resulting in events where the Johnsons were left off the guest list. When President Kennedy noticed, he would always add them back in.
Lady Bird was part of the entourage going to Texas in November of 1963, welcoming the president and first lady to her own home where she gave them the master bedroom and even brought in the president’s special mattress. She knew how angry Texans could be after being spit on herself during the campaign, and she was horrified at the tragedy that happened on her native soil.
The Johnsons were riding in the car behind the Kennedys and heard the fateful shots. When they arrived at the hospital, she found Jackie sitting outside the room containing the president’s body. She said, “I never saw anyone so alone in my whole life.” Lady Bird asked Jackie if she wanted to change, but she refused. Lady Bird was by Lyndon’s side as he was sworn in as president. She and Lyndon walked behind the Kennedys in the funeral procession and toured the White House on November 26th, telling Jackie to stay as long as she needed.
First Lady
“I feel as if I am suddenly on stage for a part I never rehearsed.” Lady Bird Johnson
One of the first things Lady Bird did as First Lady was to start an oral diary which is now available to the public. She recorded the historical events as seen through her eyes, her Texas drawl adding to the drama of the events. Listen to them here.
They moved into the White House and Lyndon was immediately consumed by work. As the workload increased, Lady Bird and Lyndon grew apart. Lady Bird supported Lyndon as he signed the 1964 Civil Rights Act and encouraged him to run for president that year. The plan was for him to run in 1964 but not 1968 which they kept a secret from everyone else.
During the 1964 election, Lady Bird took a four-day, 1628-mile campaign train trip called the “Lady Bird Special” through the South as the nation’s most visible Southern belle. She organized it without Lyndon, choosing her stops, the people she’d meet, and even the food served on the train to honor the different states. She called governors and senators from states for 11 hours to let them know she was coming but some still refused to meet with her. The Secret Service worried over potential bombings and had a special advance train car to reduce the risk. Many in the South saw her as an activist First Lady with her suport for civil rights and places like Charleston, SC gave her a hard time. She made 47 formal speeches in four days and redefined women’s roles in campaigns.
Photos from the Library of Congress
Her tactics worked as Lyndon won the 1964 election in a landslide, carrying six Southern states. At the 1965 inauguration, Lady Bird was the first First Lady to hold the Bible while her husband took the oath of office.
She enjoyed bringing together people to discuss issues and created doers luncheons that focused on urban blight and discriminatory practices, education, and health. They were well-received until a showdown between President Johnson and actress/singer Eartha Kit in 1968. Lady Bird had to face her down and did so with grace.
No matter what she did, however, she was always in Jackie’s shadow. Lady Bird realized this and didn’t try to compete with her, even inviting Jackie to every White House event. She knew her strengths and knew what Lyndon needed from her. She admired Eleanor Roosevelt’s advocacy and invited the press with her on tours to poverty areas much like Eleanor had done. The sign on her desk said “Can Do.”
Her biggest achievement would come in conservation and environmental efforts as she teamed up with the Secretary of the Interior to change the nation’s habits. Not just planting flowers and picking up trash, these efforts resulted in a Congressional bill, the Highway Beautification Act, that passed in 1965 to codify her efforts.
Photos from Wikipedia in the public domain
She worked with local activists to clean up Washington’s poverty-stricken areas, creating a First Lady’s Committee for a More Beautiful Capital. She also championed Head Start to help underprivileged young children get the preparation needed for school.
As the Vietnam War issue took over Lyndon’s presidency, Lady Bird did all she could to support him. As the girls became young women and married (Linda in the White House!), both of their eventual husbands served in the war, and the family had to put up with constant protests outside of the White House gates.
1968 was a tough year as Lyndon announced he wasn’t going to run. She also had to help the country heal after the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. She spent more time at her Texas ranch that year and was happy to return home for good in January of 1969.
Post-White House
Lyndon became even more dependent on her in his retirement, some calling him a holy terror. Lady Bird concentrated on her own interests, traveling to Mexico with friends and serving on the board of regents at the University of Texas.
Lyndon’s health continued to decline as he had another heart attack in 1972. On January 22, 1973, Lady Bird was in Austin at a meeting when he had a fatal heart attack at their ranch.
After his death, Lady Bird became the chief steward of his memories, presiding over events at Lyndon’s presidential library and museum in Austin. She continued to work in environmental causes, creating a hiking trail in Austin and founding the National Wildflower Research Center on her 70th birthday. She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1988 (the first First Lady to receive this medal) to honor her work in environmental preservation and conservation.
In 1983, Lady Bird retired from public life and spent the majority of her time with her seven grandchildren. She donated the ranch to the National Park Service and loved greeting visitors from her front porch. She died of natural causes on July 11, 2007.
Legacy
Lady Bird’s legacy is still evident on our highways and roads as the medians are full of wildflowers. She had made a visible impact on our country that we are still grateful for today.
Her dedication to her husband, even amidst hardships and scandal, is looked down upon by our current society, but it shows her true character and heart. Her graciousness and gentleness after the horrific events in Dallas were appreciated by the Kennedys and the entire country. She helped Americans heal and get through some of its most difficult times.
Her unwavering commitment to Lyndon and his policies is to be commended.
My Time with Lady Bird
I enjoyed learning more about Lady Bird, especially listening to some of her oral White House diaries. It helped me connect with her as she mostly kept her emotions locked away in public. Even with the diaries, it was hard to know what she really felt. After all of my reading and research, I still don’t know what made her tick, how she had the fortitude to push against Lyndon’s bombastic personality or the protestors who spit on her. Was it because she lost her mother at a young age or because her father was such a tough character? Or was it instilled in her by her nanny or aunt Effie? I still don’t have a good feel for who she really was on the inside.
What I do know is she seemed like the best of the South – a steel magnolia. As a fellow Southerner, I admire her tenacity mixed with grace.
Travels with Lady Bird
Lady Bird was a Texan through and through!
Texas
Austin
Have a drink in the beautiful Driskill Hotel where Lyndon and Lady Bird had their first date.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum
I have visited this modernist library on the UT-Austin campus and was delighted to find Lady Bird’s dresses and memorabilia! I was there in 2022 when they had an amazing special exhibit on Lady Bird – how lucky!
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, Johnson City
You can tour the Texas White House (currently closed for renovations) and drive through the grounds of the Johnson ranch. Don’t miss seeing Lyndon’s boyhood home as well.
You can see the small town where Lady Bird was born and see her father’s plantation home, Brick House.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, San Antonio
Visit the church where Lady Bird married Lyndon.
Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park, Fredericksburg
A park dedicated to Lady Bird.
Washington, DC
You can see the Johnson homes (none open for tours):
- 1910 Kalorama Road – first apartment
- 4912 30th Place NW – home while Lyndon served in the Senate
- The Elms in Spring Valley (4040 52nd Street) – now Algerian ambassador’s residence
Lady Bird Johnson Park, part of George Washington Parkway
Walk on this beautiful trail along the Potomac River.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Visit Lady Bird’s dresses and china here. Note the inclusion of wildflowers on the china!
Alabama
Milton
A historical marker about her family home.
California
Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail, Crescent City
A trail dedicated to Lady Bird in the beautiful redwood forests of California.
To Learn More
Books to Read:
There are no fiction books written about Lady Bird, but there are several nonfiction books about her life.
Links are Amazon affiliate links. Be sure to see my Bookshop.org list for all of the books related to my Booking It Through History: First Ladies project.
Nonfiction:
Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson by Jan Jarboe Russell
I enjoyed this biography but as it was completed before her death, I’d love to see an updated version. The author was able to interview Lady Bird herself!
Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight by Julia Sweig
I read parts of this book and also listened to the excellent podcast (linked below) by the author.
Lady Bird and Lyndon: The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President by Betty Boyd Caroli
A White House Diary by Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird: The Oral Diaries, edited by Michael L. Gillette
Children’s Books:
Lady Bird Johnson, That’s Who!: The Story of a Cleaner and Greener America by Tracy Nelson Maurer
Rollin’ on Down the Line: Lady Bird Johnson’s 1964 Whistle-Stop Tour for Civil Rights by Helen Kampion
Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appelt
TV Shows/Movies
C-SPAN First Ladies: Influence and Image
The Lady Bird Diaries on Hulu
NPS video – includes Lady Bird’s home movies!
Podcasts
In Plain Sight: Lady Bird Johnson – listen to Lady Bird’s own words from her White House diary
Websites
White House Historical Association
- Ornament: The Johnson White House Christmas ornament depicts the 1967 White House Blue Room Christmas tree. On the back is a quote from President Johnson: “Our mission is at once the oldest and the most basic of this country: to right wrong, to do justice, to serve man.” The quote is encircled with Texas bluebonnet flowers.
- Portrait: You can purchase a portrait of Lady Bird.
National First Ladies Museum
- Ornament: An ornament that honors Lady Bird.
Lady Bird Johnson was a smart woman full of dignity and grace. Our country was blessed to have her at the helm during one of the most tumultuous times in our country’s history.
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