Johnson, Lynda Bird (b. 1944)

views updated

Johnson, Lynda Bird (b. 1944)

First daughter of the U.S. Name variations: Lynda Johnson Robb. Born Lynda Bird Johnson in 1944; daughter of Lady Bird Johnson (b. 1912) and Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973, president of the U.S., 1963–1968); married Charles S. Robb (U.S. senator), in 1967; children: three.

Lynda Bird Johnson was born in 1944, the daughter of Lady Bird Johnson (b. 1912) and President Lyndon Baines Johnson. At that time, her father had been a congressional representative for seven years. "Growing up in politics is a seesaw kind of life," said Robb. "Although I enjoyed some of the privileges of being a congressional child, most of all I remember the separations: Daddy and Mother were always away. Luci and I were raised by other loving people, and our parents called often to remind us we were loved."

Lynda campaigned with her parents and began giving speeches during the 1960 presidential race. When her father became vice president, she felt like a "small fish in a very big pond." Then came her years in the White House where her mail was read, her phone calls were monitored, her anonymity was lost, and her every move analyzed in the press.

In a 1967 White House ceremony, Lynda Bird Johnson married Charles S. Robb, a future U.S. senator. She became a contributor to the Ladies' Home Journal and raised her family. An activist like her mother, Lynda Robb campaigned for Reading is Fundamental, a national organization aimed at motivating children to read, and against high infant mortality rates.

sources:

"Politician's Daughter, Politician's Wife," in Ladies' Home Journal. October 1978.

About this article

Johnson, Lynda Bird (b. 1944)

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article