Johnson, Lady Bird (1912–)
Johnson, Lady Bird (1912–)
American first lady. Name variations: Claudia Alta Johnson. Born Claudia Alta Taylor in Karnack, Texas, Dec 12, 1912; dau. of Thomas Jefferson Taylor (merchant and politician) and Minnie Lee (Patillo) Taylor; University of Texas, B.A. in liberal arts (1933), BA in journalism (1934); m. Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973, president of US, 1963–68), Nov 17, 1934; children: Lynda Bird Johnson Robb (b. 1944); Luci Baines Johnson Nugent Turpin (b. 1947).
During WWII, while husband served with navy, purchased a small debt-ridden radio station, KTBC, in Austin (1943); under her full-time management, turned the station into a multimillion-dollar radio and tv enterprise, the Texas Broadcasting Corporation; entered White House following assassination of President John F. Kennedy, having to replace the popular Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, but held her own and emerged as a highly respected first lady (1963–69); became a popular Washington host, celebrated for her Southern charm and self-effacing wit; worked in support of War on Poverty, especially in promotion of Head Start program; remembered primarily, however, for her national conservation and beautification campaign; appointed to University of Texas Board of Regents.
See also memoir A White House Diary (Holt, 1970); Jan Jarboe Russell, Lady Bird: A Biography of Mrs. Johnson (Scribner, 1999); and Women in World History.