News Release

Parks to Celebrate 111th Anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Birth on August 27

Subscribe RSS Icon | What is RSS
Date: August 15, 2019
Contact: Antoine Fletcher, 830-868-7128 ext. 269

A wreath at the headstone of President Johnson's grave.
STONEWALL, TEXAS – Make plans to join Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site in celebrating the 111th anniversary of President Johnson’s birth. At 10:00 am on Tuesday, August 27, the National Park Service will host the annual wreath-laying ceremony at President Johnson’s gravesite on the LBJ Ranch. The ceremony continues a tradition that Lady Bird Johnson began in 1973. Colonel Phillip G. Born will help present the wreath and provide remarks. President and Mrs. Johnson’s granddaughter, Catherine Robb, will be the keynote speaker. 

Colonel Philip G. Born has served as the Vice Commander of the 37th Training Wing Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas since June 2018. His responsibilities include overseeing the largest training wing in the U.S. Air force. He leads 16,000 students and permanent party airmen and assists the wing commander in leading 85,000 graduates annually. Prior to his current assignment, Colonel Born served as Chief, Nuclear Mission Assurance Division, United States Strategic Command, at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

Catherine Robb, daughter of Lynda Johnson Robb and Charles Robb, is one of President Johnson’s seven grandchildren to carry on his legacy. Although Catherine grew up in Virginia, where her father was elected governor and then U.S. Senator, she moved to Austin to study at the University of Texas School of Law, earning her J.D. in 1998, with honors. Living in Texas gave her the chance to spend time with her beloved grandmother. Catherine recalls spending each Tuesday with Mrs. Johnson, cooking, watching PBS, or reading some of Mrs. Johnson’s favorite books. Today, Catherine Robb is a counsel in the Austin law firm of Haynes and Boone, specializing in media, First Amendment Law and intellectual property litigation. An active Austinite, she currently serves in a variety of capacities including member of the KLRU board (where she also serves on the Austin City Limits Committee) and as a council member for the University of Texas School of Undergraduate Studies and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Additionally, She is the founder, former chairman, and chair emeritus of the LBJ Library Future Forum. Having learned the value of philanthropy from her grandmother, Catherine also volunteers for several non-profits in the community, including Reading is Fundamental of Austin, Trinity Center, Back on My Feet, and Volunteer Legal Services.

To view the wreath-laying ceremony, visitors should stop first at the LBJ State Park to pick up a free vehicle permit and map. Throughout the day on August 27 the LBJ State Park will feature old-time games of marbles, tops, jacks, and stick-horse races at the Sauer-Beckmann living history farm. Birthday cake will be served at 1:00 pm at the state park’s visitor center. For more information, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-park/lyndon-b-johnson.

After the wreath-laying ceremony in the Johnson family cemetery, visitors can take the LBJ Ranch driving tour. Due to the temporary closure of the Texas White House to public tours, park staff will instead offer periodic ranger programs starting at 1 pm. The LBJ Ranch hangar visitor center will also be open.  It features exhibits, artifacts, an award-winning 14-minute film, and a Western National Parks Association sales outlet. WNPA will offer 15% discounts in the park’s sales outlets on August 27. To learn more about WNPA visit www.wnpa.org. 

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is open seven days a week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information call 830-868-7128 ext. 231 or 244, or visit www.nps.gov/lyjo and www.facebook.com/LBJohnsonNPS.

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice. 
 



Last updated: August 16, 2019

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 329
Johnson City, TX 78636

Phone:

830 868-7128

Contact Us