LBJ Presidential Library Tour: Lyndon Johnson Lady Bird Johnson Museum

LBJ Presidential Library Tour: Lyndon Johnson Lady Bird Johnson Museum
Saturday, May 3 - 2:00 pm (tentative). All are welcome.
Meeting Point: In front of the LBJ Presidential Library: 2313 Red River St, Austin.

Robert & Michele invite you to a special guided tour of the LBJ Presidential Library & Museum on the campus of the University of Texas - Austin.
Permanent exhibits include the lives of Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, the John F. Kennedy Assassination, a replica of the Oval Office, LBJ’s Presidential Limousine, Vietnam War and Great Society exhibits, the First Lady’s Gallery, Lady Bird’s Office, and more.
https://www.lbjlibrary.org/

During our museum tour we’ll be visiting the museum’s current special exhibition …
Ain’t No Daylight in Vietnam: March 1968
March 1968 stands as a pivotal moment in the Vietnam War, marked by unprecedented chaos both on the ground and in the highest levels of the United States government. On the battlefields of Vietnam, soldiers faced relentless combat, as the Tet Offensive continued to sow confusion and fear. Back home, the Johnson administration grappled with its own form of chaos. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his advisors were caught in a web of political turmoil and public dissent. As casualty reports mounted and televised images of the war's brutality reached American living rooms, public opinion turned against the war.
Step into the tumultuous world of March 1968 with our latest temporary exhibition, Ain’t No Daylight in Vietnam: March 1968. This compelling exhibition offers an in-depth exploration of the Vietnam War by focusing on the pivotal month of March 1968, providing a nuanced perspective of the conflict through the eyes of those who experienced it first-hand. Drawing from a rich collection of photographs, letters, and personal accounts, Ain’t No Daylight in Vietnam immerses visitors in the intense realities faced by soldiers, medics, and civilians. The exhibition captures the harrowing experiences of combat, the emotional toll of the war, and the political and social reverberations of this critical period in American history.
https://www.lbjlibrary.org/exhibits/temporary-exhibitions/aint-no-daylight-vietnam-march-1968

TripAdvisor lists The LBJ Presidential Library as the #3 rated tourist attraction (after Barton Springs Pool and the Texas Capitol):
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g30196-d145840-Reviews-LBJ_Presidential_Library-Austin_Texas.html

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The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, also known as the LBJ Presidential Library, is the presidential library and museum of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States (1963–1969). It is located on the grounds of the University of Texas at Austin, and is one of 15 presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. The LBJ Library houses 45 million pages of historical documents, including the papers of President Johnson and those of his close associates and others.

Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 - January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served as the 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963. A Southern Democrat, Johnson previously represented Texas in Congress for over 23 years, first as a U.S. representative from 1937 to 1949, and then as a U.S. senator from 1949 to 1961.
Johnson's Great Society was aimed at expanding civil rights, public broadcasting, access to health care, aid to education and the arts, urban and rural development, consumer protection, environmentalism, and public services. Johnson's foreign policy prioritized containment of communism, including in the ongoing Vietnam War.
Johnson began his presidency with near-universal support, but his approval declined throughout his presidency as the public became frustrated with both the Vietnam War and domestic unrest, including race riots in major cities and increasing crime.
Johnson retired to his Texas ranch, where he died in 1973. Public opinion and academic assessments of Johnson's legacy have fluctuated greatly. Historians and scholars rank Johnson in the upper tier for his accomplishments regarding domestic policy. His administration passed many major laws that made substantial changes in civil rights, health care, welfare, and education. Conversely, Johnson is heavily criticized for his foreign policy, namely escalating American involvement in the Vietnam War.

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (née Taylor; December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007) was an American woman who served as the first lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She had previously served as second lady from 1961 to 1963 when her husband was vice president under John F. Kennedy.
Notably well educated for a woman of her era, Lady Bird proved a capable manager and a successful investor. After marrying Lyndon Johnson in 1934 when he was a political hopeful in Austin, Texas, she used a modest inheritance to bankroll his congressional campaign and then ran his office while he served in the Navy.
As first lady, Johnson broke new ground by interacting directly with Congress, employing her press secretary, and making a solo electioneering tour. She advocated beautifying the nation's cities and highways ("Where flowers bloom, so does hope"). The Highway Beautification Act was informally known as "Lady Bird's Bill". She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1984, the highest honors bestowed upon a U.S. civilian. Johnson has been consistently ranked in occasional Siena College Research Institute surveys as one of the most highly regarded American first ladies per historians' assessments.

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Event Details ...

Cost: FREE for guided museum tour with your paid admission ticket: Adults = $16, Seniors (62+) = $12, Former/Retired Military = $8, K-12 Teachers and Staff = $8, College Students (non-UT Austin) = $6, Active-Duty Military = Free, Recipients of SNAP, WIC, and MAP = Free, UT Austin Students, Faculty, Staff = Free, etc.
https://www.lbjlibrary.org/visit/hours-and-admissions

Weather: The event is indoors and will thus take place rain or shine. If it’s on our calendar then we’re proceeding as planned.

Parking: Many options throughout the area (mostly paid). If driving, please arrive in the area several minutes early so that you have plenty of time to find parking and walk to our meeting point.

Meeting Point: In front of the LBJ Presidential Library: 2313 Red River St, Austin. Look for your hosts Robert (wearing a fedora-style hat) & Michele (also wearing a hat), along with a group of friendly people.

Program: Our tour of the museum will begin at 2:00 pm and will last approximately 90 minutes (3:30 pm?) and the museum is open until 5:00 pm if you would like to continue visiting the exhibits on your own. This is a non-partisan history tour.

Additional Questions: Anything that can't be answered by the event description, Google, or common sense, please let us know.

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Your host for this program is Robert Kelleman, the founder/director of the non-profit community organizations Texas History & Culture and Washington, DC History & Culture.

We look forward to seeing you - thanks!

Robert Kelleman
rkelleman@yahoo.com
202-821-6325 (text only)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkelleman/