Architect of the Great Society

Lyndon Baines Johnson’s memorial grove on the Potomac is a living memorial centered on a 19 foot monolith of sunset red granite quarried 35 miles from his Texas ranch home, a stone weighing about 34 tons and estimated to be one billion years old, chiseled to embody his rugged, dynamic personality and set within a grove of white pines and dogwoods bordered by azaleas and wildflowers beside a broad grassy meadow. The memorial reflects his administration’s commitment to preserving the nation’s natural heritage, including the designation of 3.6 million acres as park land and the signing into law of the Wilderness Act and Clean Air Act. Four quotations chosen by Lady Bird Johnson around the base highlight important elements of his Great Society program, whose goals included promoting upward mobility and improving the quality of life for average Americans through more than 60 educational bills and the war on poverty, which created programs such as Medicare. His first legislative accomplishment was the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the first civil rights policy in almost 100 years to outlaw segregation in America, and more than 1000 pieces of legislation became law during his five-year administration. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969, is also shown speaking with Martin Luther King, Jr. about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and improving communities across America.

Arlington, Virginia · United States