Nation's First "Green" First Lady Left Mark While Beautifying America

While traveling along our nation's highways and observing the colorful flowers that brighten the colorless pavement, you might want to remember our nation's first "green" First Lady. Lady Bird Johnson died in her home yesterday at the age of 94, while surrounded by her family.

In a press release, Keep America Beautiful, established in 1953, noted it will miss Mrs. Johnson. It is one of the largest volunteer, community based and educational organizations in the United States who owes much of its success the the former First Lady. Lady Bird Johnson worked tirelessly to keep America's countrysides beautiful and colorful. Keep America Beautiful Inc. has a net-work of more than 1000 participating affiliations and participants throughout the United States. Lady Bird's advocacy throughout the tumultuous 60's brought national attention to the organization's mission which is "To bring natural beauty to America's public places." Mrs. Johnson also convened the first "White House Conference on National Beauty" in 1965. Lady Bird Johnson understood the meaning of "greening" of a community long before the term became 'hip' during the mid 2000s.

Mrs. Johnson started capital beautification by helping to found The Society for a More Beautiful National Capitol" during her husband Lyndon B. Johnson's term in the White House from November 1963 to January 1969. Lyndon B. Johnson became President of The United States after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Texas. Lady Bird Johnson though thrust into the World's spotlight, made use of her time as First Lady by championing the cause of beautifying her surroundings. The Society for a More Beautiful Capitol was created to improve the physical appearance of Washington D.C. Her efforts inspired similar programs throughout the country.

Lady Bird was also instrumental in promoting The Highway Beautification Act which limited the number of billboards allowed on public highways and encouraged the planting of natural wild flowers along the same road-sides.

Lady Bird Johnson whose real name was Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson was born on December 22, 1912. Her father was a share-cropper. When she was just a baby her African-American nursemaid Alice Tittle commented, "She's as purty as a lady bird." The name stuck and the child that would grow up to be First Lady became known as Lady Bird. Most Americans are not aware she even had another name. Lady Bird married Lyndon B. Johnson and later had two children, Luci and Lynda. Mrs. Johnson also advocated the "Head Start" program which encourages low income children of three and four years of age to become familiar with school, which gives them an advantage that they normally wouldn't receive when starting school. Johnson received many awards for her community work through out the years including "The Congressional Gold Medal".

In 1973 Lyndon B. Johnson died and Lady Bird continued to stay active in the causes she believed in. Lady Bird Johnson suffered a stroke in 1993 and soon became legally blind. The former First Lady died on Wednesday in Austin, Texas from natural causes.

Sources used for this article: www.wikipedia.org and http://www.prnewswire.com/publicinterest/