The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, also known as the LBJ Presidential Library, is the
presidential library
A presidential library, presidential center, or presidential museum is a facility either created in honor of a former president and containing their papers, or affiliated with a country's presidency.
In the United States
* The presidential libr ...
and
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...
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
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, and is one of 13 presidential libraries administered by the
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...
. The LBJ Library houses 45 million pages of historical documents, including the papers of President Johnson and those of his close associates and others.
History
Discussions for a Presidential library for President Johnson began soon after his 1964 election victory. In February 1965, the chairman of the Board of Regents at the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, William H. Heath, proposed building the library on the university campus, along with funds to construct the building and the establishment of the Johnson School of Public Affairs on the campus.
The agreement was formally reached on September 6, 1966.
While past Presidential libraries were funded by private donations, the publicly-funded University of Texas paid $15 million of the $18 million needed to construct the complex and donated the land for the library, which was formerly a low-income neighborhood acquired by the university using
eminent domain
Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...
.
First Lady
Lady Bird Johnson toured existing Presidential libraries and university campuses to consult the design of the library. Lady Bird presented three potential architects to President Johnson;
Gordon Bunshaft of
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was chosen.
The design was completed in the Summer of 1966 and construction began in 1967. The Library was dedicated on May 22, 1971, with Johnson and then-President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
in attendance.
In 1991
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
visited the museum and met with President Johnson's family.
After her death in July 2007, the body of
Lady Bird Johnson lay in repose in the Library and Museum, just as her husband's had after his death, 34 years earlier in January 1973.
In 2012, the LBJ Library underwent a multimillion-dollar redesign, during which most of the exhibits were closed. On December 22, the Library reopened to the public. In 2013, the Library began charging admission for the first time since its dedication in 1971. Mark Atwood Lawrence is the current director of the LBJ Library.
Features
The complex, which was designed by
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architects
Gordon Bunshaft and
R. Max Brooks, is an unadorned 10-story building clad in cream Italian
travertine
Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a p ...
. Library, adjacent to the
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, occupies a 14-acre (57,000 m
2) campus. Although the Library is on the grounds of UT Austin, it is federally run and independent from the University. The top floor of the Library has a 7/8
ths scale replica of the
Oval Office decorated as it was during Johnson's presidency, including the
Johnson desk. Another exhibit features an
animatronic LBJ. The view of the
Texas State Capitol from the library's terrace became one of the
Capitol View Corridors protected under state and local law from obstruction by tall buildings in 1983.
The LBJ Library provides year-round public viewing of its permanent historical, cultural, and temporary exhibits to approximately 125,000 visitors each year. It is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. seven days a week throughout the year. The Library is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Among the artworks on display at the Library and Museum is a photoengraved mural depicting scenes from Johnson's life created by
Naomi Savage
Naomi Siegler Savage (June 25, 1927 – November 22, 2005) was an American photographer.
Early life and education
Born Naomi Siegler, she was a native of Princeton, New Jersey. Her parents were Samuel Siegler and Elsie Siegler (née Radnitzky), ...
.
LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award
The library honors public servants with the "LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award." The award is given to leaders who demonstrate civility and bipartisanship. Recipients have included Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by Presiden ...
, President
George H. W. Bush, Congressman
John Lewis, Congressman
John Dingell, Senator
Carl Levin, and Senator
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...
.
See also
*
D. B. Hardeman Prize The D. B. Hardeman Prize is a cash prize awarded annually by the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation for the best book that furthers the study of the U.S. Congress in the fields of biography, history, journalism, or political science. Submissions are ...
References
Further reading
*Benjamin Hufbauer, ''Presidential Temples: How Memorials and Libraries Shape Public Memory'' (University Press of Kansas, 2005). See ch.3: "Symbolic Power, Democratic Access, and the Imperial Presidency: The Johnson Library."
External links
*
The LBJ School of Public Affairs
{{Authority control
1971 establishments in Texas
History museums in Texas
Library buildings completed in 1971
Johnson Library and Museum
Library and Museum
Museums established in 1971
Johnson Library and Museum
Johnson, L
Presidential museums in Texas
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings
University of Texas at Austin campus
Civil rights movement museums
University and college buildings completed in 1971