Lyndon B. Johnson

Thirty-sixth president, 1963–1969

Sworn in after the assassination of President Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson was one of the nation’s most ambitious and idealistic chief executives. He worked tirelessly to create his “Great Society,” an America where prosperity and opportunity would exist through the efforts of a strong federal government. A veteran legislator and master manipulator, Johnson used his skills to help pass laws that addressed such issues as poverty, education, and civil rights. His legacy, however, was tarnished when he applied a similarly aggressive approach to his foreign policy in Vietnam. Johnson’s efforts to fight communism in the region resulted in the deaths of more than 58,000 Americans and signaled the end of his political career. With his approval rating plummeting, he chose not to run for reelection in 1968. Nevertheless, the war continued for another seven years.

Peter Hurd was commissioned to make Johnson’s official portrait for the White House, but when the president viewed the finished painting, he declared it “the ugliest thing I ever saw.” Hurd kept the work and gave it to the National Portrait Gallery when the museum opened in 1968. In exchange, the museum promised not to exhibit the portrait until after the president left office.