Lyndon B. Johnson :: Biographies

Lyndon B. JohnsonEarly Life Johnson was born on Aug. 27, 1908, near Johnson City, Tex., the firstbornson of surface-to-air missile Ealy Johnson, Jr., and Rebekah Baines Johnson. His father, astruggling farmer and cattle diver in the hill country of Texas,provided only an uncertain income for his family. Politically active, SamJohnson served five terms in the Texas legislature. His mother had variedcultural interests and fixed high value on education she was fiercelyambitious for her children. Johnson attended public schools in Johnson City and received a B.S.degree from southwestern United States Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos. He thentaught for a year in Houston before going to Washington in 1931 assecretary to a Democratic Texas congressman, Richard M. Kleberg. Duringthe next 4 years Johnson developed a wide of the mark network of political contacts inWashington, D.C. On Nov. 17, 1934, he married Claudia Alta Taylor, cognizeas Lady Bird. A warfarem, inte lligent, ambitious woman, she was a great summationto Johnsons career. They had two daughters, Lynda Byrd, born in 1944, andLuci Baines, born in 1947. In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the clean-living House. Johnson greatly admired the president, who named him, at age27, to head the National youth Administration in Texas. This job, whichJohnson held from 1935 to 1937, entailed helping young people obtain example and schooling. It confirmed Johnsons faith in the positivepotential of government and win for him a group of supporters in Texas. In 1937, Johnson sought and won a Texas seat in Congress, where hechampioned public works, reclamation, and public power programs. When warcame to Europe he backed Roosevelts efforts to aid the Allies. DuringWorld War II he served a brief tour of active duty with the U.S. naval forces inthe Pacific (1941-42) but returned to Capitol Hill when Roosevelt recalledmembers of Congress from active duty. Johnson continue to supportRoo sevelts military and foreign-policy programs. During the 1940s,Johnson and his wife developed profitable business ventures, including aradio station, in Texas. In 1948 he ran for the U.S. Senate, winning theDemocratic companionship primary by only 87 votes. (This was his second try in1941 he had run for the Senate and lost to a conservative opponent.) Theopposition charge him of fraud and tagged him Landslide Lyndon. Althoughchallenged, unsuccessfully, in the courts, he took office in 1949.Senator and Vice-President. --------------------------- Johnson moved quickly into the Senate hierarchy.