A Texas Bluebonnet: Lady Bird Johnson

David Murphy

Jan 2006 · Nova Publishers

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Christened Claudia Alta Taylor when she was born in a country mansion near Karnack, Texas, she received her nickname "Lady Bird" as a small child; and as Lady Bird she is known and loved throughout America today. Perhaps that name was prophetic, as there has seldom been a First Lady so attuned to nature and the importance of conserving the environment. "Bird" was President Lyndon Johnson's partner, confidante, and helpmate. She helped to keep his Congressional office open during World War II when he volunteered for naval service; and in 1955, when he had a severe heart attack, she helped his staff to keep things running smoothly until he could return to his post as Majority Leader of the Senate. He once remarked that voters "would happily have elected her over me". She created a First Lady's Committee for a More Beautiful Capital, then expanded her program to include the entire nation. She took a highly active part in her husband's war-on-poverty program, especially the Head Start project for pre-school children. This book traces Lady Bird's life in a lively, informative and entertaining manner.

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David Murphy is an editorial assistant at the Royal Irish Academy's Dictionary of Irish Biography, specializing in political, military, naval and polar figures. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and other prestigious societies and associations. The author of many papers and journal articles, his latest book is the critically acclaimed Ireland and the Crimean War (Dublin 2002).