Caitlin Glenn | Staff Writer
When you hear Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson, what are the first things that come to your mind? Her husband was a president. The state mandates that we go to a school named after her every day of the week. And between her and her husband, you’ve got quite a few places named after LBJ to keep straight.
But who is Claudia Taylor Johnson? If you want to wow your friends with some trivia about the woman that this institution of learning was named after, check out these five things you probably didn’t
know about Claudia.
1. Claudia Taylor Johnson was given her nickname, Lady Bird, as a young girl when her servant commented that she was “purty as a lady bird.” So if you ever think that giving someone close to you a nickname is pointless and won’t have any significance later, you’re probably right. But still, it never hurts to try.
2. Claudia wanted to become a journalist before she met husband Lyndon B. Johnson, and received bachelor’s degrees in arts and journalism, proving once again that publications is the place to be.
3. Because of his busy life in politics, Claudia and Lyndon had a long distance relationship for 7 weeks. The loosely based novel and subsequent film of their relationship practically write themselves.
4. Claudia used some of the money from her own inheritance to fund her husband’s political campaign. So if you’re ever wondering whether a relationship is meant to last, just remember that true love isn’t flowers and chocolate, it’s funding your significant other’s presidential bid.
5. Claudia was a big fan of nature and strongly advocated to preserve and protect the environment, using her political influence for projects such as the Highway Beautification Act. So if you ever feel a sudden urge to pick up an abandoned tray in the cafeteria or throw away a fallen paper towel in the bathroom, that’s probably just the spirit of Claudia shining down on you.
So if you’re ever feeling down as you wander the halls of Johnson High School, just remember that you go to a school that is the legacy of a truly incredible woman.
