James Persyn LBJ memorabilia

Collection

Identifier: 80.300-LBJ-2014-Persyn

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of three decorative plates that feature President Lyndon B. Johnson, and two LP comedy record albums related to Johnson.

Dates

1960s

Creator

Persyn, James L. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Special Collections and Archives owns the physical items in our collections, but copyright normally belongs to the creator of the materials or their heirs. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish from copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections and Archives material in print or electronic form.

Biographic note

Lyndon Johnson attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College from 1927-1930. He took a year off (1928-1929) to teach at Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas in order to earn money to continue his education. He graduated with a degree in history and a permanent teaching certificate in 1930. Johnson became president after Kennedy’s assassination, serving the rest of JFK’s term and one of his own.

Throughout his political career, Johnson maintained a close relationship with the college in San Marcos. He visited the campus frequently, often several times per year, until his death in 1973. Johnson often credited his experiences at college with shaping his policies on education. In 1965, Johnson chose Southwest Texas State College as the location to sign the Higher Education Act into law.

Johnson, regularly referred to as LBJ, continues to have a presence on the Texas State University campus. The student center was named for LBJ, as was an ongoing lecture series. A statue of LBJ as a student was installed on the quad in September 2006. And in celebration of his 100th birthday in 2008, the university published “Connections: Lyndon B. Johnson in San Marcos.”