Lady Bird Johnson, who made conservation and beautification a national cause while she was America’s first lady and afterward, died July 11, 2007, in Austin at age 94. Yet her legacy continues to grow, most notably through Austin’s world-famous Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
In the just-concluded Texas legislative session, lawmakers passed a resolution designating 2012 as the Lady Bird Johnson Centennial Year to honor the 100th anniversary of Mrs. Johnson’s birth. Mrs. Johnson was born Dec. 22, 1912, in the East Texas town of Karnack.
The legislative resolution says the centennial observance “provides a fitting opportunity to remember the former first lady for her tireless efforts to preserve the natural beauty of our state and nation.” Following her death, former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hilary Clinton called Mrs. Johnson “a beloved first lady and an American treasure.”
During her time in the White House, Mrs. Johnson was instrumental in beautification projects around Washington, D.C., including the planting of flowers along the National Mall.
In a statement after her death, former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush (two fellow Texans) said: “Lady Bird Johnson made the world beautiful in so many ways, and was beautiful to all of us who knew and loved her.”
Mrs. Johnson was a major force behind passage of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, which encouraged enhancement of roadsides across the country. The legislation, known as “Lady Bird’s Bill,” also paved the way for the modern-day requirement that at least one-fourth of 1 percent of funds spent on landscaping projects in the federal highway system be used to plant native wildflowers.
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave his wife 50 pens used to sign 50 federal laws related to conservation and beautification.
“An environmentalist ahead of her time, Mrs. Johnson brought beauty to our parks and roadsides, recognition to our wilderness areas and a profound understanding of the value of native wildflowers and plants,” according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
When the Johnsons returned to Texas from D.C. in 1969 after the LBJ presidency concluded, Mrs. Johnson devoted herself to improving the state’s landscape. Chief among her accomplishments was establishment of Austin’s hike-and-bike trail around Town Lake, which is a recreational hot spot in downtown Austin. The lake now bears Mrs. Johnson’s name.
In 1982, Mrs. Johnson teamed up with a close friend, actress Helen Hayes, to establish what now is called the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The 279-acre center focuses on research and education to promote the use and sustainability of native plants. The center became part of the University of Texas in 2006.
Mrs. Johnson graduated from UT with two bachelor’s degrees and served on the University of Texas System’s Board of Regents from 1971 to 1977.
In a speech in 1990, Mrs. Johnson said: “My special cause, the one that alerts my interest and quickens the pace of my life, is to preserve the wildflowers and native plants that define the regions of our land – to encourage and promote their use in appropriate areas, and thus help pass on to generations in waiting the quiet jobs and satisfactions I have known since my childhood.”
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