American President
Lyndon Johnson (1908–1973)
Facts at a Glance
- Term
- 36th President of the United States (1963–1969)
- Born
- August 27, 1908, near Johnson City, Texas
- Full Name
- Lyndon Baines Johnson
- Nickname
- “LBJ”
- Education
- Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University-San Marcos), graduated 1930; Georgetown Law School, attended 1934
- Religion
- Disciples of Christ
- Marriage
- November 17, 1934, to Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor (1912–2007)
- Children:
- Lynda Bird (1944– ); Luci Baines (1947– )
- Career
- Teacher, Public Official
- Political Party
- Democrat
- Writings
- The Vantage Point: Perspectives of the Presidency, 1963–1969 (1971)
- Died
- January 22, 1973, near Stonewall, Texas
- Buried
- Near Johnson City, Texas
- A Life in Brief
- On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. The event thrust Lyndon Johnson into the presidency. A man widely considered to be one of the most expert and brilliant politicians of his time, Johnson would leave office a little more than five years later as one of the least popular Presidents in American history. More »
Speech Before Congress on Voting Rights (March 15, 1965)
Essays on Lyndon Johnson and His Administration
- Lyndon Baines Johnson
- A Life in Brief
- Life Before the Presidency
- Campaigns and Elections
- Domestic Affairs
- Foreign Affairs
- Life After the Presidency
- Family Life
- The American Franchise
- Impact and Legacy
- Key Events
- First Lady
- Claudia Johnson
- Vice President
- Hubert H. Humphrey
- Secretary of State
- Dean Rusk (1963–1969)
- Secretary of Defense
- Robert S. McNamara (1963–1968)
- Clark Clifford (1968–1969)
- Postmaster General
- John A. Gronouski (1963–1965)
- Lawrence F. O'Brien (1965–1968)
- W. Marvin Watson (1968–1969)
- Secretary of Agriculture
- Orville L. Freeman (1963–1969)
- Secretary of Labor
- W. Willard Wirtz (1963–1969)
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Robert C. Weaver (1966–1969)
- Robert C. Wood (1969–1969)
- Secretary of the Treasury
- C. Douglas Dillon (1963–1965)
- Henry H. Fowler (1965–1968)
- Joseph Barr (1968–1969)
- Attorney General
- Robert F. Kennedy (1963–1965)
- Nicholas Katzenbach (1965–1967)
- Ramsey Clark (1967–1969)
- Secretary of the Interior
- Stewart Udall (1963–1969)
- Secretary of Commerce
- Luther H. Hodges (1963–1965)
- John T. Connor (1965–1967)
- Alexander B. Trowbridge (1967–1968)
- Cyrus R. Smith (1968–1969)
- Secretary of Transportation
- Alan S. Boyd (1967–1969)
- Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
- Anthony J. Celebrezze (1963–1965)
- John W. Gardner (1965–1968)
- Wilbur J. Cohen (1968–1969)
Consulting Editor: Kent Germany
Professor Germany is an assistant professor of history and African American studies at the University of South Carolina. His writings include:
New Orleans After the Promises: Poverty, Citizenship, and the Search for the Great Society (University of Georgia Press, 2007)
Presidential Speeches
Below are selections from the Miller Center’s Lyndon Johnson speech collection.
May 22, 1964—Remarks at the University of Michigan
July 02, 1964—Remarks upon Signing the Civil Rights Bill
March 31, 1968—Remarks on Decision not to Seek Re-Election
October 30, 1968—Remarks on the Cessation of Bombing of North Vietnam
Scholarship and Speakers
The Miller Center of Public Affairs is a national nonpartisan center to research, reflect, and report on American government, with special attention to the central role and history of the presidency. Below is a selection of Miller Center resources on Lyndon Johnson.
Watch the Miller Center’s multimedia presentation on the secret LBJ White House tapes.
Watch Nick Kotz’s 2005
presentation at the Miller Center on Martin
Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon Johnson.
President Lyndon Johnson led the country as Commander in Chief during the Vietnam War. Learn more about the Miller Center’s National War Powers Commission.
Learn more about the Center’s National Commission on the Vice Presidency and its relationship to Johnson.
Scripps Library Reference Resources
Below are links to reference resources prepared by the Miller Center’s Scripps Library, designed to help students and scholars conduct their research quickly.
Information on Lyndon Johnson’s Private and Public Papers
The Miller Center is committed to presenting the most accurate information on our American Presidents. Please make a gift to the Miller Center Foundation today. Your gift will ensure free access to American President for thousands of students, teachers and individuals who wish to learn more about the leaders whose contributions shaped our great country.