| Lady Bird Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Political office |
57th Chancellor of Aloia |
|
In office |
25 May 1963 - 10 January 1965 |
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Preceded by |
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Succeeded by |
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Born |
Claudia Alta Taylor |
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Died |
11 July 2007 |
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Political party |
Christian Democratic Party |
|
Spouse and family |
Lyndon Johnson |
|
Alma mater |
Concordia University, Austinia |
|
Religion |
Church of Aloia |
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (née Taylor, December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007) was an Aloian politician who was Aloia's first female Chancellor, first female member of either house of the Legislature, and first female High Councillor.
Johnson was born in 1912 into the wealthy, aristocratic Taylor family of Marble Falls, Texania. During her infancy, her nurse, Alice Little, commented that she was "as pretty as a ladybird." The nickname replaced her actual first name for the rest of her life.
The highly intelligent and ambitious young woman was greatly supported by her family, who sought to provide her the best education they could. They sent her to Concordia University, Austinia, a school run by the Texania Evangelical Lutheran Synod. After she graduated from that school at the top of her class, she went to Minneapolis, Aloia, to attend the University of Minnesota.
Johnson met her future husband, Lyndon Johnson, another Texanian, when she was studying at the U of M. Lady Bird got married shortly after her graduation, changing her name from Taylor to Johnson.
Lyndon Johnson was an engineer and got a job at Rhodes Industries, so the family settled in Minneapolis. Lady Bird began practicing law at a law firm in Minneapolis. She took some a few years for maternity leave when her daughters were born, but once they were both old enough for school she went back to work. She received Aloian citizenship in 1938.
She became very involved in the Christian Democratic Party and left her law firm to go work for the national headquarters of the CDP as one of their lawyers. Her coworkers and bosses soon realized her potential as a legislator and politician and convinced her to run for Minnesota's vacant High Council seat in 1940. She won, becoming the first female member of either house of the Aloian legislature.
In 1956, she was chosen by Louis DiClementi to be his running mate, as part of a coalition between the Conservative Party and the Christian Democrats to defeat Social Democrat Douglas Horn. The two-party ticket won, and Johnson made history again, becoming Aloia's first female Vice Chancellor. During her time as Vice Chancellor, she led efforts to improve national infrastructure, and at the same time, beautify the Aloian countryside. Her term as Vice Chancellor saw the establishment of the Royal Interstate Highway System.
When DiClementi was assassinated in 1963, Johnson was sworn in as Chancellor, again making Aloian history as the first female Chancellor. She provided steady leadership as the nation recovered from the shock of his death. Johnson announced she would not run for re-election in 1964, and was succeeded by Kendrick Berkeley.
Aloia's largest artificial body of water, a reservoir east of Zumbrota, is named Lady Bird Lake in her honor.