Lady Bird Johnson Dies at 94

Lady Bird Johnson, widow of President Lyndon B. Johnson, died Wednesday at 94 at her home in Austin, Texas.

The former first lady died of natural causes with family members and friends nearby, a spokesman said.

Her pet cause during the Johnson presidency was the environment, particularly cleaning up the nation’s highways. Though she was initially wary of being in the limelight, Johnson threw herself into her husband’s campaigns and eventual presidency. However, she did not find her White House tenure ideal. Mrs. Johnson dreaded the thought of a second term: “I do not know whether we can endure another four-year term in the presidency. I use the word ‘endure’ in Webster’s own meaning, ‘to last, remain, continue in the same state without perishing.’ I face the prospect of another campaign like an open-end stay in a concentration camp.”

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AP Photo / File

Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, share a squeeze in 1961.