About Lady Bird Johnson

“I believe that Lady Bird Johnson touched a fundamental chord in the American. She enriched the lives of all Americans.” Lyndon Baines Johnson, from his book, The Vantage Point, 1971

(All of the following quotes are from the book, Lady Bird Johnson: A Life Well Lived, by Harry Middleton, published in 1992)

“I admire and revere Lady Bird Johnson because of who she is and because of the depth of the footprints she has made on our country.” Barbara Jordan, Houston native, first African American woman from the South to serve in the U. S. House, died in 1996

“She brought to the White House a quiet strength, dignity and grace that virtually belied the tenor of the times.” George H.W. Bush, Forty-first President of the United States, from a letter to Lady Bird Johnson, June 2, 1992

“As you reflect on the fullness of your life, you may take great pride in the endless contributions you have made in helping America shine with beauty!” Ronald Reagan, Fortieth President of the United States, letter to Lady Bird Johnson, June 24, 1992, died in 2004

“Lady Bird Johnson’s good works constitute as timeless a legacy as the natural beauty she has espoused and brought into our everyday lives.” Helen Hayes, actress, co-founder of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, died in 1993

“We are proud to be among those whose lives she has touched.” Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Thirty-ninth President of the United States and First Lady, letter to Lady Bird Johnson, June 9, 1992

“She’s a role model for leadership responsibility for women. That’s a big part of her legacy, above and beyond the environment.” Laurance Rockefeller, awarded the Lady Bird Johnson Conservation Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1977

“We have experienced in great abundance the gentleness and friendship that has made Lady Bird Johnson so universally loved.” Gerald R. Ford, Thirty-eighth President of the United States, letter to Lady Bird Johnson, June 12, 1992, died in 2006.

“Lady Bird has a great heart and tireless energy. Those who know and love her have benefited from these qualities as have countless others she has never met.” Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady of the United States 1960-1963, letter to Lady Bird Johnson on her 80th birthday, died 1994

“She lit a fire in this country that still burns." George B. Hartzog, Jr., former Director of the National Park Service.

“Every time I see the flowers blooming along the highways of America, I think of her.” Reverend Billy Graham, family friend, delivered the invocation at the dedication of the LBJ Library and Museum and presided over President Johnson’s burial service

“She gave everything she had for her country. She didn’t waste time, she didn’t waste the opportunity.” Bess Abell, Mrs. Johnson’s White House Social Secretary

“She has a great faith in this country and its ability to pull itself out of a lot of its problems.” Liz Carpenter, Mrs. Johnson’s White House Press Secretary