Lyndon B. Johnson Library

President Lyndon Baines Johnson, by Bernard Fuchs, ca. 1960s
Gift of Edward Swayduck, New York, New York
Pencil, colored pencil, acrylic on paper, 26 3/4 x 20 x 7/8 inches
 

Lyndon Baines Johnson
Democrat
36th President, 1963-69

*Contrary to the public perception of him as a hard-edged politician, the portrait at the top of this page depicts Johnson in soft strokes and warm tones. Lady Bird, LBJ's wife, has said that she regrets the American people did not see the gentler side of her husband.

Earlier in his career, Johnson served in the House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate, where he was elected majority leader. When he became President, his legislative experience combined with the force of his personality to make LBJ extremely successful in getting his programs enacted. As President, he signed more than 200 bills into law. Mr. Zesch made this humorous caricature for the President while LBJ recuperated from gallbladder surgery.

. . . We didn't know the proper procedure to present [the caricature to the President] or if it is his policy to accept gifts. We thought he might enjoy it at the ranch while he's convalescing. . . .

–Letter to Lady Bird Johnson from Patsy Zesch, November 13, 1965

 

Some of the greatest strides in the quest for civil rights for black Americans were made during the Johnson administration. LBJ pushed three civil rights bills through Congress, forever outlawing voter literacy tests and discrimination in employment, public places, and housing. He also appointed the first African American to the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall.