Texana Thursday: 3 Things You Might Not Know about Lady Bird Johnson

Lady Bird Johnson was first lady from 1963-69 (public domain photo)

Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady, was born on December 22, 1912, in Karnack, Texas, which sits 58 miles south of Texarkana and 166 miles east of Dallas. She served as first lady during the presidential administration of her husband, Lyndon Baines Johnson, from 1963 to 1969.

There was more to Mrs. Johnson than being first lady, though. Some interesting things you might not know about Mrs. Johnson include:

1. Her nursemaid gave Mrs. Johnson her nickname.

Mrs. Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor. Her family nursemaid, Alice Tittle, said of the baby Claudia that she was “as purdy as a ladybird.” The nickname stuck, though Mrs. Johnson, her family, and friends referred to her simply as “Bird.”

2. She earned two college degrees.

Mrs. Johnson earned degrees in history and journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. Her education would serve her well in the years ahead.

In the 1940s, she used family inheritance money to purchase an Austin radio station, which became the basis for the Johnson family fortune.

On November 22, 1963, Lyndon Johnson became the 36th president of the United States upon the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Johnsons were in the motorcade that day, and Mrs. Johnson took time to dictate what she saw and heard. The tape became a useful and important source for historians writing about that tragic day.

She followed the same practice, of recording what she saw and heard, throughout her time as first lady. The materials became the basis of her memoir, A White House Diary (1970).

3. She created the National Wildflower Center.

Growing up in rural East Texas, Mrs. Johnson had a profound love for nature. She carried this appreciation with her into the White House, where as First Lady she was active in conservation causes.

In 1982, Mrs. Johnson and her friend, the actress Helen Hayes, created the National Wildflower Center in Austin. Its purpose remains to inspire the conservation of natural plants. The center, at 4801 La Crosse Avenue in southwest Austin, was renamed in Mrs. Johnson’s honor after her death in 2007. The center today is part of the University of Texas.

Town Lake, the portion of the Colorado River that runs through the heart of Austin, was renamed Lake Lady Bird in Mrs. Johnson’s honor.