Table of Contents Introduction 6 Chapter 1 Early Life and Career 12 Chapter 2 Congress and Vice Presidency 22 Chapter 3 Succession to the Presidency 34 Chapter 4 Full Term as President 50 Conclusion 68 Glossary 70 For More Information 73 For Further Reading 76 Index 78
Introduction Jacqueline Kennedy right and Lady Bird Johnson stand by Lyndon B Johnson as he takes the oath of office aboard Air Force One after the assassination of President John F Kennedy on November 22 1963 6
At 2 38 PM on November 22 1963 Lyndon B Johnson took the oath of office as the 36th president of the United States On his right stood his wife Lady Bird On his left stood Jacqueline Kennedy stony-faced with shock Less than two hours earlier President John F Kennedy had died in a Dallas hospi tal from an assassin’s bullets He had been shot while riding in a motorcade through downtown Dallas Johnson riding two cars behind Kennedy was unhurt As vice president of the United States Lyndon Johnson immediately became presi dent He was the fourth vice president to be thrust into the nation’s top office by the assassination of his predecessor The new president’s first message to the nation televised the evening of that fateful day on his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington D C was brief I will do my best That is all I can do I ask for your help and God’s Johnson immediately went to work passing legislation that had been proposed by the Kennedy Administration Having been the Senate majority leader before his election as vice president he was skilled at negotiating with congressmen to achieve 7
