Lyndon Baines Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, near Stonewall TX. In 1930, He graduated from Southwest Texas State University, which was then known as Southwest Texas State Teachers College. He won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1937. During 1941 and 1942, he served with the Navy in the Pacific, earning a Silver Star for bravery. In 1948, he was elected to the United States Senate. From 1953 onwards, he was Democratic leader in the Senate. Having failed to win the nominaton for himself, he joined John F. Kennedy as the vice-presidential candidate of the Democrats in 1960. When Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Johnson became President. He followed liberal domestic policies, including a War on Poverty and civil rights legislation, but the increasing involvement of U.S. forces in the war in Vietnam eroded his popularity. Facing serious challenges from within the party, he dropped out of the race in 1968. He died on January 22, 1973 in San Antonio TX.
