Lady Bird Johnson was born in 1912 and married Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1934. As First Lady, she promoted environmental protection and helped create the Head Start Program. After her husband’s death, she continued charitable work and served on various boards. She suffered health problems in later years.
Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson, better known as Lady Bird Johnson, was born on December 22, 1912. As a child, she was given the nickname “Lady Bird” due to her outstanding looks. Her mother died when she was only five, leaving Lady Bird and her older siblings to be raised by their father, aunt and domestic staff.
Always an excellent student, Lady Bird received a 1934 BA in art and journalism from the University of Texas. Lady Bird and Lyndon Baines Johnson were married on November 17, 1934 in San Antonio, Texas after a whirlwind courtship that lasted just seven weeks. The couple wanted to start a family immediately, but Lady Bird Johnson suffered several heartbreaking miscarriages. She eventually gave birth to her daughter Lynda in 1944. Her other daughter Luci was born three years later.
Throughout her marriage, Lady Bird Johnson was an active supporter of her husband’s political career. In fact, during Lyndon Baines Johnson’s time as vice president, she visited 33 foreign countries as his/her goodwill ambassador. Lady Bird Johnson began her tenure as First Lady of the United States when her husband succeeded to the presidency following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
As First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson was an advocate for environmental protection. She established a capital beautification project, worked to promote the Highway Beautification Act, and created the National Wildflower Research Center. In 1999, she was awarded the Native Plant Conservation Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of these achievements.
Lady Bird Johnson also believed strongly in helping low-income children succeed in school. She was instrumental in creating the Head Start Program in 1965, a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that focuses on comprehensive early education, nutrition, and health services for low-income children and their families .
Following her husband’s death in 1973, Lady Bird Johnson became one of the most active presidential widows in US history. She continued her charitable work and made numerous public appearances at events honoring her late husband and other influential government figures. Lady Bird Johnson also began serving as a trustee on the board of directors of the National Geographic Society, co-chair of the Advisory Council of the American Freedom Train Foundation, and a member of the Presidential Commission on White House Scholarships.
In 1993, Lady Bird Johnson began suffering from a series of health problems. She had a small stroke and went legally blind from macular degeneration. In 2002, she was unable to walk without assistance. Today she rarely makes public appearances and is typically represented at major US events by her daughters.
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