LBJ Library to offer free cookies in celebration of Lady Bird Johnson’s 111th birthday

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A First Lady of the United States born, raised, and buried in Texas would have been 111 years old on Friday, and the library dedicated to her husband’s presidency is honoring her with a sweet treat.

The LBJ Presidential Library said it will give visitors with paid admission free cookies in celebration of Lady Bird Johnson’s birthday on Friday.

The library at 2313 Red River St. is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last visitor is admitted at 4 p.m., the library said.

Projects featuring Lady Bird Johnson’s voice offer new looks at the late first lady

Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor was born Dec. 22, 1912 in Karnack near Marshall in East Texas.

According to a biography provided by the library, shortly after she received two degrees from The University of Texas, Lady Bird met Lyndon Baines Johnson, then a congressional aide.

The Johnsons married on November 17, 1934, at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Antonio, the library said. They had two daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and Luci Baines Johnson, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Lady Bird Johnson efforts led to the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, and she was a visible supporter of our National Parks, the library said.

In 1982, she founded the National Wildflower Research Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and re-establishing native plants.

The center is now known as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, part of The University of Texas at Austin, according to the library.

Johnson died in Austin on July 11, 2007, and was buried at the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall.

In her honor, the City of Austin renamed the Town Lake portion of the Colorado River as Lady Bird Lake.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.