Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum Austin, Texas

Mailing Address

2313 Red River Street
Austin, TX 78705

Street Address       View Yahoo map

2313 Red River Street
Austin, TX 78705

Phone: 512-916-5137
Fax: 512-916-5171
Email:
Web: www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/

Related Links

austin.about.com/cs/tours/l/blvt_ut_lbjlib.htm

Museum Hours

Mon. -Sun.		9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

History

Lady Bird Johnson spearheaded the effort to create a presidential library for her husband, Lyndon Baines Johnson. In response to her efforts, the University of Texas regents proposed to build not only the presidential library and museum, but also to establish the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Dedicated in 1971, the library houses the extensive records from LBJ's career as a public servant. The LBJ Library and Museum is one of ten presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA).

The LBJ library is seen as a trend-setter among presidential libraries in several respects. Unlike all the other presidential libraries, the LBJ library charges no admission thereby meeting one of LBJ's stipulations. LBJ had the foresight to recognize that the museum could not accomplish innovative projects and programs on the government payroll. Therefore, he created an endowment for the museum through the LBJ Foundation. In addition, the Friends of the LBJ Library was established to sponsor special activities and exhibitions. Through this outside support, the museum mounts at least two major exhibitions each year on a variety of aspects of American history, not necessarily related to the LBJ era. The board and staff have expanded the mission of the institution beyond the term of the 36th president to include all of American history.

Under the federal governance of NARA, the LBJ Library has access to the National Archives. In mounting their historical exhibitions, the library has brought a number of critically important historical documents to Texas, such as the Magna Carta, the Emancipation Proclamation, and documents ending the Civil War and World Wars I and II. Many of these exhibitions have traveled to other presidential libraries after their debut in Austin.

Artifacts Collections

The museum collection of 50,000 historical objects is divided into the following broad categories: personal items that belong to LBJ or the Johnson family, gifts from the American public, editorial cartoon collection, political campaign memorabilia collection (from 18th century through the present), portraits and busts of famous political figures, and of course, the famous Head of State gifts which includes such highlights as the Roman portrait of a young boy (1-3 B.C.), Diego Rivera painting, Tang dynasty horses, folk art from around the world, oriental carpet collection, and textile collection.

Research Collections

The 46 million official documents from LBJ's public life are divided into the pre-White House years and the White House years. Some topics covered are Vietnam, foreign relations, the Dominican crisis, the six-day war in the Middle East, and Civil Rights, as well as the establishment of the Poverty Program, Medicare, Elementary & Secondary Education Act, and Higher Education Act.

Other archival collections include the papers of John Connally, Drew Pearson, Alvin Wirtz, Wright Patman, General William Westmoreland, Clark Clifford, and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). The oral history collection tracks LBJ from childhood to death, and includes input from over 1,000 individuals associated with LBJ personally or professionally. The over one million feet of audiovisual material include motion picture footage, film from the 1960s, video tapes, and dictaphone tapes of LBJ on the telephone. The photography collection consists of 600,000 still photographs and 500,000 photographic negatives that span the life of LBJ.

Conservation

The library has a staff photographer, but the photographer is not available to do any outside work.

Library

The manuscript library as well as the audiovisual and photography archives are non- circulating and open to researchers at no charge. Researchers planning to visit the LBJ Library should set an appointment and outline their topics of interest. The library can usually provide a general list of the archival holdings and will occasionally do a search on a specific topic, prior to the researcher's making the site visit. Upon arrival, researchers will be asked to fill out a registration form and undergo an overview of how to handle the collections. The library is staff-assisted. Photocopies are available on much of the materials. A duplication fee will be charged. The reading room hours are the same as the museum. LBJ Library also awards research grants semi-annually to defray the expenses incurred while conducting research at the library.

Services


Gift Shop

Publications

The museum publishes catalogues on a regular basis. They are available through the museum shop.

Facilities

119,835 total square feet; 35,000 square feet of exhibition space; 60-seat auditorium;wheelchair-accessible; other services for people with disabilities available upon request.

The eight-story Italian travertine marble building was designed by Gordon Bunshaft. Located one block west of Interstate 35, the LBJ Library and Museum is situated on a 19-acre site overlooking the University of Texas campus. The first two floors offer permanent and changing exhibitions, as well as a gift shop. Four levels house red archival boxes with gold presidential seals which dramatically display the enormity of the archival holdings. The third floor holds papers from LBJ's congressional, senatorial, and vice presidential years. The fourth floor holds papers of friends and public figures, as well as speech files from LBJ's college days to 1973. The fifth floor houses House papers and reports of task forces, commissions, and appointed committees, and the sixth floor stores the White House Central Files. Administrative offices are located on the seventh and eighth floors. Exhibitions on the eighth floor include a replica of the Oval Office, the First Lady's Gllery, and an audiovisual tour of five other rooms in the White House.

The museum has updated and redesigned its permanent exhibitions. The exhibitions examine the Johnson years and the 1960s in America and worldwide. The new exhibit uses oral histories, and other audiovisual materials so that a visitor can hear LBJ tell jokes, look at political cartoons, and listen to music and sounds from the 60s.

Programs

Docent program,Distinguished speaker series,Symposia,Scholarship grants

Staff

Dr.  Betty Sue Flowers, Director
Phone: 512-916-5137 x263

Dr.  Sandor Cohen, Curator
Phone: 512-916-5137 x243

Char Diercks, Registrar
Phone: 512-916-5137 x232

Marty Matin, Exhibition Specialist
Phone: 512-916-5137 x236

Michael MacDonald, Museum Specialist
Phone: 512-916-5137 x287

Judy Davidson-Englert, Chief Tour Coordinator
Phone: 512-916-5137 x242


Museum Type

Library
Specialized

Governance

Type: Federal governance under National Archives and Records Administration


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