There are a number of people who are interested to know the mystery behind the long hair of President Lyndon B Johnson. Are you too curious to know the reason behind the long hair of Lyndon B Johnson? If you too want to know as to why the president decided to wear his hair long, then this post might interest you. Keep reading to learn more.
Lyndon B Johnson who was the 36th president of the United States decided to wear his hair long, quite similar to that of the teenagers who were against his Vietnamese policy. The White House has been a spectator to some notable hairstyles in history and Lyndon B Johnson’s long hair was no exception. This different sense of style has brought a lot of curious eyes. If anything it has only challenged Donald Trump’s candy strands.
Table of Contents
Who exactly is Lyndon B Johnson?
Lyndon Baines Johnson often addressed as LBJ, has been the 36th president of the United States between the years 1963 to 1969. Prior to this, he held the position of John F. Kennedy’s 37th VP during the course of 3 years from 1961 to 1963. After the tragic death of President Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson took over the position of the president. Johnson was democratic in the state of Texas and worked as a congressman followed by being a Senator, a ranking member in the Senate. LBJ has worked in every central national post. Because of the same reason he was much respected as a president and as a person among the people.
How was Lyndon B Johnson’s Early life?
Born on August 27, 1908, Lyndon B Johnson lived nearby Johnson Town, Stonewell, Texas. Johnson town was named after one of his cousins. In his childhood, he lived in a small farmhouse near the Pedernales River. His father’s name was Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. Mr. Samuel was an entrepreneur and a respected statewide politician. President Lyndon was the eldest of the five children born to his father. His siblings included three sisters, Rebekah, Josefa, and Lucia, and one brother, Sam Houston Johnson.
Johnson completed his bachelor’s degree in 1930 at Texas State University. To pay for his schooling, he had to teach a class designated for poor Mexican-American students. Their poverty and hardships deeply moved him. Aggrieved by their misery, Johnson decided to find ways to put an end to their problems and lead a life by example and bring the required change in the world. Lyndon B Johnson wrote and published a book named “The Great Society”, which was a series of policy initiatives, legislation, and programs whose main goal was to put an end to poverty, reduce crimes, abolish inequality, and work towards the betterment of the environment. Before being elected to the United States Congress in 1937, Johnson acted as a prominent college professor and a legislative assistant.
The long hair of Lyndon Baines Johnson
While in today’s society, it’s not rare to find people with extreme hairstyles, even presidents are free to choose their own hair cut, the scenery was quite different in the 1960s or the early 1970s. During the time when people loved to signify their position in society, Johnson’s long hair was quite a surprise. Bob Hardesty, a close advisor, was in charge of Johnson’s innovative shoulder-length hair. Lyndon B Johnson stood out in the crowd with this bold hairstyle. During this era, hairstyles among the men were hugely inspired by the Vietnam War and Johnson’s long hair stood separate from the bohemians due to military needs. The fact that Lyndon B Johnson played a part in intensifying the war, dressed in the manner of Hair’s war criminals, was quite surprising.
Lyndon Baines Johnson’s career as a prominent politician
The political life of Lyndon Baines Johnson kick-started in 1937 when he got elected as a Democratic in the United States Congress. Being recognized as a clever and industrious politician, he got re-elected a total of five times.
Johnson became the first legislator to enlist for military service during World War 2 after he failed in his bid for a Statewide office in the year 1941. His civil rights legacy was formed after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the voting rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
On March 17, 1965, when the Selma to Montgomery marchers carried out protests and fought for their rights, President Lyndon Johnson held a joint session of Congress and called for federal voting rights legislation to protect African-Americans from barriers that prevented them from voting. He even dispatched combat troops of the United States to support the Saigon government in its efforts to defeat the increasingly lethal Communist Party.
He put a bombing halt in North Vietnam in the year 1968.
Final Thoughts
President LBJ left office with comparatively low ratings of approval but that didn’t stop historians and political scientists to give Johnson his much deserved praise. His domestic programs have transformed the United States and the role of the federal government for the good and many of his undertaken programs remain in effect till this day. Even though Lyndon Baines Johnson has had a significant political career, his long, shoulder-length hair has gained even more attention. His shoulder-length hair became a major attraction and garnered huge attention when the media focused on how unique it was and it made Johnson stand out. We can not mention the United States president’s absurd hairstyles without taking the name of Lyndon Baines Johnson and his eye-catching hairstyle representing the teenagers who opposed his Vietnamese policy. All credits to Bob Hardesty who took the efforts to come out with such a brilliant idea to showcase the president and his contributions to the nation in the pages of history. What are your views on this unusual and surprising reason behind president Johnson’s long hair? Comment your thoughts below.
