Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Bird Johnson
Presidential Daughters
1947 – Present
1944 – Present

When researching the lives of the children of American presidents it often seems that many aspects of these individuals often reflect the cultural norms of their time. This is particularly evident with the daughters and how they had a professional life—or didn’t. We see this in how listings of the daughters from the 19th century usually describe the individual as a “housewife, mother,” and that was their career designation. However, in the 20th century though many may still be “housewife, mother” things begin to change. For example Anna, Franklin Roosevelt’s daughter was listed as wife and mother but also newspaperwoman. Also, Harry S Truman’s daughter Margaret was indeed a wife and mother but also had an active career as professional singer, television personality and later novelist. Thus presidential daughters, like other women in their culture, may have been wives and had children but they also had active working lives outside the home and some even became public figures in their own right.

This reality was particularly evident when Luci Baines and Lynda Bird Johnson arrived at the White House in 1963 becoming First Daughters and also media figures. Then amidst the public attention they then went on to combine careers as wives and mothers, but also with careers in business and public service.

In addition, their arrival brought a refreshingly youthful atmosphere to the traditional White House and this was particularly evident in November, 1963 when White House Chief Usher J.B. West described what happened. He wrote: “Soon after noon, a white convertible zoomed into the South driveway, and out jumped Miss Luci Baines Johnson with two frisky beagles on a leash.” His account continued as he settled her, the family and their staff into their new quarters and then visited Luci in her new bedroom. As the new First Daughter eyed the bedside phone he came to understand that the new resident was definitely a teenager who valued her privacy.

“’Does this extension go just to my room or does it go anywhere else?’ Luci asked. I explained that each White House phone had a direct line to the switchboard and to no other phone on the floor.” The new First Daughter was relieved: “Oh, good! In our house all our extensions were connected, and my Daddy was always listening in on me…”

And though they had moved into the White House, the Johnson daughters, Luci and her older sister Lynda Bird were in a familiar atmosphere since both were born in the capital city as their father was in Congress. Lynda Bird, born in 1944 and Lucy in 1947, both attended schools in Washington, where Luci was still a student when their father became president.

As her father assumed the presidency, Lynda was attending the University of Texas in the Johnson’s home state but she transferred to the local George Washington University, and as she joined Luci in the White House the youthful atmosphere intensified. Mr. West described it: “…the second floor of the White House took on a character of a girls’ dormitory. .” Lynda and her college roommate…found they should always kept a flashlight in their bathrobe pocket—to keep from breaking their necks in the pitch black corridors at night.” Lynda also worked as a volunteer at a White House office and assisted in her father’s election campaigns Often she appeared, sometimes with Luci at “Youth for Johnson” meetings—and would introduce her sister as “And now here’s Watusi—I mean Luci.”

In fact, a news video of the time at such an event showed where Luci did dance the watusi—with popular actor Steve McQueen.

When her father was vice president, Lynda had accompanied her parents on overseas trips and when enrolled at George Washington University she hoped she could spend a summer in Europe. However as her grades weren’t as high as she would have liked, it may have been because she was so busy with campus activities, as well as assisting in entertaining at the White House. However, she decided to return to Texas for her senior year as well as traveling and writing articles for a national magazine.

That summer she also met actor George Hamilton and their relationship became the stuff of headlines, and there was naturally speculation about an eventual engagement. Hamilton called her “One of the most interesting and very nicest girls” but Lynda remained silent.

Eventually as they parted Lynda considered several career goals and worked part-time for a national magazine as a writer and consultant, but remained available to help her parents in the White House and for political events. From 1969 to 1981 she was a contributing editor to the Ladies Home Journal magazine.

However, though Lynda had dated celebrities and businessmen, she found one long term romance in the White House itself with Capt. Charles Robb, a Marine Corps social aide. They were married in the East Room in December, 1967 and would go on to have three daughters.

Lynda was later second, and then first lady of Virginia when her husband was elected Lt. Governor in 1978, Governor in 1982 and then became a Senator from Virginia in 1989 and served till 2001. Also, she was appointed by President Carter in 1979 to head up a presidential commission for women.

Like Luci, she has served on the board of directors for family organizations such as the LBJ Foundation and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

In 2004 Mrs. Robb represented her frail mother at the state funeral of President Ronald Reagan, and again at the funeral in 2006 of President Gerald R. Ford. Then in 2018 she accompanied her husband, as well as her sister and her husband, at the funeral of President George H.W. Bush.

At the beginning of 2025, at age 80 Lynda is the oldest living child of an American president.

When Luci was born and named she actually continued the family custom of bearing the same initials—LBJ. When she was 16 and in class in school in Washington in November, 1963 she had heard about the Kennedy Assassination but only became aware of her father’s becoming president when Secret Service agents arrived at the school. She later attended the school of nursing at Georgetown University but had to drop out when she became engaged to Patrick Nugent (married students were not permitted). Her 1966 wedding in Washington’s National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on a nationally televised event and they were to have four children.

Following the wedding, the newlyweds moved to Austin so Patrick could attend the University of Texas and they set up housekeeping as Luci enrolled in a home economics course and did her own grocery shopping. This followed earlier cooking lessons from the Johnson’s White House cook.

However, Luci’s marriage failed and the couple was later divorced and in 1979 their marriage was annulled by their Catholic church. Then in 1984 Luci married Canadian financier Ian J. Turpin who became president of a Johnson family business. Then in 1993 Lucy became the chairman of the board and manager of the family company, as well as receiving a degree from a Catholic university in Austin, Texas.

Luci also has served on other boards, as well as for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which promotes her mother’s interest in highway beautification.

Over the years, both Luci Baines and Lynda Bird Johnson have personified both their era, as well as the legacy of both their parents.

~*~

Anne Adams is a retired church staffer. She lives in East Texas and has an historical column for a local newspaper. She has published in Christian and secular publications for more than 40 years.

References:
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Christine Sadler, Children in the White House G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York 1967
Sandra Quinn, Sanford Kanter, America’s Royalty All the Presidents’ Children Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn. 1983 J.B. West, and Mary Lynn
Kotz, Upstairs at the White House; My life with the First Ladies, Coward, McGann and Geoghegan Inc. NY 1973