In honor of this past weekend’s Tony awards, I thought I’d start my Presidential Pick of the Week series with our 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson. As an American Studies major at Barnard College my interest in the American presidency blossomed. To be honest, I’m much more interested in the presidents as men (and hopefully someday soon, as women) rather than their policies or platforms. So here’s a Top 5 list of why I love LBJ:
1. He began his career as a teacher. He taught in rural Texas and his experience teaching immigrant Mexicans deeply affected his decisions in office.
2. He was misunderstood (in my opinion, all the really good ones are). His policies in regards to the Vietnam War have greatly overshadowed his Great Society policies in our textbooks.
3. He can be argued as the most effective domestic legislator as he signed enumerable laws that supported civil rights, women’s rights, environmental protection, healthcare expansion, arts and education funding and programs to tackle poverty.
4. He’s a leader. Did you know LBJ was riding only 2 cars behind JFK in Dallas when the president was shot? He took office only 5 hours after the shooting and had to step up to the plate quickly and effectively.
5. His wife, Lady Bird, was the consummate conservationist believing that the man-made and the natural environment can be intertwined to be useful and beautiful. She loved those wildflowers.
Want to learn more about LBJ? Check out these great resources:
– Run, don’t walk, to get tickets to “All the Way” on Broadway (http://allthewaybroadway.com/) . Bryan Cranston’s rendition of LBJ is remarkable and you’ll walk away from the theater having a better understanding of the president and the tumult of the 1960’s that shaped his every waking moment. Insider tip: It’s long (3 hours) and it starts exactly on time. It’s worth the price for great seats or you can flirt with an usher and get moved closer to the stage during intermission.
– Fly to Austin, Texas to visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library at the University of Texas. Give yourself many hours to roam the halls and read every single piece of text (this is not usually my museum style but in this case, do it). It’s a fascinating museum dedicated to the life of the man and you’ll not want to feel rushed.
Check out some photos below from my trip with my mom to Texas in May 2007. Liza and Emily even stopped in Austin to join us on our trip to the Library.
The Primary Source 