Lyndon Baines Johnson is the prominent Texan I have chosen to write about in this assignment. The main point in this paper will include his early years , political years ,family, health and death. Lyndon Baines Johnson was born August 27,1908 in Stonewall, Texas to Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. and Rebekah Baines . Lyndon was the oldest of 5 children. He had 3 sisters and 1 brother. When he was 5 years old his family moved to Johnson City, Texas where he attended public school. He graduated from Johnson City High School in 1924. He attended Southwest Texas State Teachers’ College in San Marcos from 1926 to 1930, where he was a history and social science major. He participated in debate and campus politics, and he edited the school newspaper (The College Star), now known as The University Star. During his four years of college he took 9 months off to take a teaching job at the Mexican American children at the segregated Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas to earn money to complete his college degree. After graduating from college Lyndon became a teacher at Pearsall High School in Pearsall, Texas, and he taught public speaking at Sam Houston High in Houston, Texas. In 1930 Johnson decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and get involved in politics. His father served six terms in the Texas Legislature. Lyndon’s father was a good friend of Congressman Sam Rayburn. Congressman Rayburn helped Johnson get involved in Texas politics by having him campaign for Texas State Senator Welly Hopkins’ run for Congress. Senator Hopkins recommended Johnson to Congressman Richard M. Kilberg, and Johnson was appointed by Congressman Kilberg to be his legislative secretary. During this time he was elected speaker of a group of Congressional aides (known as “Little Congress”) where he cultivated Congressmen, newspapermen and lobbyists. Johnson attended Georgetown University Law Center for several months. While at Georgetown, he married Claudia Alta Taylor on November 17, 1934. Claudia’s nickname was “Lady Bird”. Lyndon and Lady Bird had two daughters. Johnson liked to give people and animals names with his and his wife’s initials. His first daughter, Lynda Bird, was born in 1944 followed by his second daughter, Luci Baines in 1947. He also named his beagle pup Little Beagle Johnson. In 1935 Johnson was appointed head of the Texas National Youth Administration where he was able to use the government to create education and job opportunities for young people. He quit this job after two years to run for Congress. He was considered a very tough boss, demanding long workdays and working on weekends. In 1937 Johnson was elected to the House of Representatives by successfully contesting a special election for Texas’s 10th congressional district. He decided to run on a New Deal platform where he received great help from his wife to win the election. He served in the House of Representatives from April 10, 1937 to January 3, 1949. President Franklin D. Roosevelt thought Johnson was a great source of information, especially with issues concerning internal politics in Texas. Johnson was appointed to the Naval Affairs Committee. While at the Naval Affairs Committee he worked for rural electrification and other improvements for his district. He contacted contractors that he personally knew, Herman and George Brown, to do the improvements. The Brown brothers helped finance Johnson’s political years. During World War II Johnson became a commissioned officer (lieutenant commander) in the Naval Reserve while still in Congress. Undersecretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, refused Johnson’s request for a combat assignment but sent him to inspect shipyard facilities in Texas and the West Coast. In 1942 President Roosevelt assigned Johnson to a survey team of the Southwest Pacific. Johnson reported directly to General Douglas MacArthur in Australia. He saw combat during his time with the survey team while in the South Pacific. He reported back to President Roosevelt, Navy leaders, and Congress that America needed greater help with the war efforts. He suggested bigger planes, bigger fleets, more war supplies, and more experienced men to fight the war. Congress appointed Johnson as chairman of a high powered subcommittee of the Naval Affairs committee. Johnson left the Naval Reserves in 1942 after President Roosevelt ordered all active duty Congressmen to return to Washington. In 1948 Johnson ran for the Senate against Coke Stevenson and one other candidate and he won. Stevenson was voted in first but lacked a majority and a runoff was held. It took a week to complete the runoff. Johnson won by 87 votes. There is much controversy over the votes in this election, but the court upheld that Johnson was the winner. Johnson earned the nickname of “Landslide Lyndon” during this runoff.

Johnson served as Senate Majority Whip under Majority Leader, Ernest McFarland of Arizona, from 1951 to 1953. He was chosen by his fellow Democrats to be the minority leader. During this leadership he worked hard on getting President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s domestic and foreign agenda to passed.