LBJ Foundation — LLMpedia

LBJ Foundation
Name	Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation
Founded	1972
Founder	Lyndon B. Johnson
Location	Austin, Texas
Type	Nonprofit
Mission	Preserve and promote the legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson

Contents

LBJ Foundation

The Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation preserves the legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson through stewardship of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, archival collections, educational programs, and public events. The Foundation partners with institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration, the University of Texas at Austin, the Smithsonian Institution, and regional organizations to support scholarship, exhibitions, and civic engagement. Its work intersects with historic initiatives and legislation tied to Johnson's tenure, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and the Great Society programs.

History

The Foundation was established in the aftermath of President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration to manage the development of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and to steward presidential papers generated during the terms of the 36th United States Congress, the 89th United States Congress, and the 88th United States Congress. Early trustees included figures from the Democratic Party, associates of Johnson such as Lady Bird Johnson, and leaders from the University of Texas at Austin and the National Archives and Records Administration. Over time the Foundation expanded collaborations with the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the Texas State Historical Association, and regional museums to curate exhibitions relating to events like the Selma to Montgomery marches, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the Vietnam War era controversies involving the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and the Tet Offensive.

The Foundation’s mission foregrounds preservation of presidential records, facilitation of research into executive actions such as the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and promotion of civic understanding of policy debates surrounding the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Medicare program. Programs link the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library with university partners including the University of Texas at Austin, think tanks like the Brookings Institution, cultural organizations such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, and advocacy groups that examine legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and initiatives from the Great Society era. The Foundation administers grants, curates traveling exhibitions with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of American History, and supports public programming in collaboration with entities like the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

The Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library houses presidential papers, artifacts, oral histories, and audio recordings documenting the Johnson Administration, including materials related to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the War on Poverty, and the Vietnam War. The Library operates in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration and the University of Texas at Austin to provide access to researchers studying figures such as Hubert Humphrey, Robert McNamara, Lady Bird Johnson, and events including the Selma to Montgomery marches and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Exhibits have featured documents connected to the Great Society initiatives, photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, and recordings from the White House during the Johnson years.

The Foundation supports educational programs and scholarships in cooperation with the University of Texas at Austin, the National Archives and Records Administration, and regional school districts to facilitate study of Johnson-era legislation such as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Scholarship funds and fellowships enable graduate research on topics tied to Lyndon B. Johnson, the Civil Rights Movement, the War on Poverty, and policy figures like Sargent Shriver and Robert F. Kennedy. K–12 curricula and teacher workshops are developed in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and state education agencies to incorporate primary sources from the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library into classroom instruction.

The Foundation facilitates scholarly research through fellowships, digitization projects, and publication of edited volumes, working with academic presses such as the University of Texas Press and partners like the American Historical Association. It supports oral history projects involving contemporaries of Lyndon B. Johnson including Lady Bird Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Lady Bird Johnson (oral histories), and policy participants such as Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Robert McNamara. Publications and research outputs examine legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Medicare program, and the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, and are used by historians, political scientists at institutions like Harvard University and Yale University, and journalists from outlets such as the New York Times and the Washington Post.

The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees drawn from former administration officials, academics from the University of Texas at Austin and other universities, corporate leaders, and civic figures associated with organizations such as the National Archives and Records Administration and the Smithsonian Institution. Funding streams include private donations from philanthropists and foundations like the Ford Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation, corporate sponsorships, endowment income, and revenue from the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library's admissions, gift shop, and program fees. Financial oversight involves auditors, legal counsel, and nonprofit compliance with state and federal regulators including filings with the IRS and reporting standards employed by peer institutions such as the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

The Foundation organizes lectures, symposia, exhibitions, and commemorations in collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin, the National Archives and Records Administration, the Smithsonian Institution, civil rights groups, and community partners to mark anniversaries of events such as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the Selma to Montgomery marches. Public programs have featured scholars from Princeton University, journalists from the New York Times, civil rights leaders, and former officials like Hubert Humphrey and Robert McNamara, and they address topics including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the legacy of the Great Society. The Foundation’s traveling exhibitions and online resources extend access to audiences in partnership with museums such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture and cultural institutions across Texas and the United States.