First Ladies: Lady Bird Johnson


Martha Washington Abigail Adams Martha Jefferson Dolley Madison Elizabeth Monroe Louisa Adams Rachel Jackson Hannah Van Buren Anna Harrison Letitia Tyler Julia Tyler Sarah Polk Margaret Taylor Abigail Fillmore Jane Pierce Harriet Lane Johnson Mary Lincoln Eliza Johnson Julia Grant Lucy Hayes Lucretia Garfield Ellen Arthur Frances Cleveland Caroline Harrison Ida McKinley Edith Roosevelt Helen Taft Ellen Wilson Edith Wilson Florence Harding Grace Coolidge Lou Hoover Eleanor Roosevelt Bess Truman Mamie Eisenhower Jacqueline Kennedy Lady Bird Johnson Pat Nixon Betty Ford Rosalynn Carter Nancy Reagan Barbara Bush Hillary Rodham Clinton Laura Bush Michelle Obama	Claudia Taylor Johnson Claudia Alta Taylor was born in Karnack, Texas on December 2, 1912. Her nickname was "Lady Bird." Lady Bird's mother died of a bad fall when Lady was five. Claudia was a very good student. She graduated from the University of Texas in 1933 in the top 10% of her class. She met Lyndon Johnson in 1934. He proposed to her two days later. Her wedding ring cost $2.50. He bought it a Sears. They were married on November 17, 1934 in San Antonio, Texas. Lyndon Johnson was very demanding of his wife. He told her what to wear and ordered her around in public. Lady Bird did run the finances. While Lyndon was away during WWII she bought a radio station in Austin, Texas. She developed it into a thriving business. They had two daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines. Lady Bird worked extremely hard on Lyndon's campaign for the Senate in 1948. Lady Bird became First Lady when John F. Kennedy was killed on November 22, 1963. Mrs Johnson was responsible for the passing of the Highway Beautification Act. She promoted the Head Start Program and worked with conservation groups. After Lyndon Johnson died in 1973, Mrs Johnson served on the board of the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas. She also served on the Board of Regents for the University of Texas and served on the National Parks Advisory Board. Lady Bird also helped in her son-in-law campaign for lieutenant governor of Virginia in 1976. She founded the National Wildflower Center and is a trustee for the National Geographic Society and the American Conservation Association.	Topics First Ladies Home U.S. Presidents Home

	Sources of Information: Books: Barden, Cindy,Meet the First Ladies, Lorenz Corp. Gormley, Beatrice,First Ladies: Women Who Called The White House Home (First Ladies) , Scholastic Paperbacks, 1997 Smith, Carter, Editor,Smithsonian Presidents and First Ladies DK Publishing, New York, 2002 Web Sites: The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/odmdhtml/
	This page was last update: May 15, 2012

Claudia Taylor Johnson