***(Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the Inauguration of America’s 44th President, “The Thirsty Quill” is publishing a series entitled “Ranking The Presidents.” There is no ‘exact science’ to these rankings other than personal opinion based on such factors as policy, performance, popularity, perseverance, integrity, and legacy. Aside from those Presidents ranked in the top 25% and the bottom 25%, there is a great deal of ‘wiggle room’ for discretionary placement and movement. These rankings are strictly the personal opinion of the Editor of ‘The Quill,’ and should not be regarded as an academic survey of any type. Debate of these rankings is highly encouraged and appreciated.)***

#15: Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

Leading off our “Final 15” is the man who assumed the Presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. You know I have to respect Johnson, especially considering the fact that he was a teacher long before he entered the political arena. Yet to fully appreciate Johnson’s years in public service, we must venture back to his youth to discover the roots of those beliefs that would ultimately shape his legacy.

Johnson was born into humble surroundings. His family was from the small, rural area of Texas known as Stonewall. It was there that Johnson learned the value of hard work, resilience, and the importance of family. He also learned about the daily struggle of those who were not considered ‘equal’ in the eyes of modern society.

Johnson’s father, who served multiple terms in the Texas state legislature, paved the way for Lyndon’s interest in politics. Still, Lyndon would take a rather strange path into a life of public service that differs from most. Despite his lack of high academic achievement, Johnson decided to going into teaching. He found this pursuit difficult, as his first attempts to gain admission to college were unsuccessful. Once he was finally allowed in, Johnson found it equally troubling staying in, even going so far as to drop out for a year before graduating from Southwest Texas State Teacher’s College in 1930. Some of LBJ’s first teaching assignments would leave a lasting impression on him, as he worked primarily with students who were of Mexican decent…many who were some of the poorest children in the state of Texas.

Upon leaving education after only a few years, Johnson pursued a path into politics. He served in the House for over a decade between 1937-1949, pausing briefly to serve his country as a Navy officer during World War II. From there, Johnson escalated through the political ranks, winning positions of leadership and influence in the Senate before ultimately being chosen as Kennedy’s running mate in the 1960 Presidential Election.

After Kennedy’s victory, the two set out to deal with the growing problems of Civil Rights and poverty in America. Upon Kennedy’s untimely death in 1963, Johnson was sworn in and assumed the difficult task of following in the footsteps of one of our nation’s most popular Presidents. Adding to this was the fact that Kennedy’s assassination had left the country in a state of shock and disbelief, and Johnson would have to comfort and console a nation searching for answers.

The fact that LBJ was President during one of the most turbulent decades in American history gives a great deal of justification for his ranking at #15. In a period that saw multiple assassinations of leaders and pioneers, the Civil Rights struggle, Vietnam, a cultural revolution and social upheaval, LBJ led the nation about as well as anyone could have expected any one man to do. His efforts to fight a “War on Poverty,” along with proposals to embolden Medicare and Medicaid, were widely embraced as positive steps toward helping those who needed it most. The passage of Civil Rights legislation (most notably the Civil Rights Act of 1964), helped LBJ gain favor with many minorities and paved the way toward equality for African-Americans after decades of racial segregation. His quest for the “Great Society” helped reenergize most of the ideals set forth by Kennedy.

The one very notable ‘hiccup’ in Johnson’s administration was his inability to effectively deal with Vietnam. Despite continued efforts and the ever-increasing numbers of U.S. service personnel being committed to the region, Johnson could not secure victory, nor an exit strategy that would render an honorable end to the war.

Although Johnson ran a successful campaign in 1964, he made the historic announcement that he would not seek an additional term in the 1968 Presidential Election.    

Notable Quotations: “You ain’t learnin’ nothin’ when you’re talkin’.”

“The presidency has made every man who has occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands.”

“Words wound…but, as a veteran of twelve years in the U.S. Senate, I happily attest that they do not kill.”

“We did not choose to be the guardians at the gate…but there is no one else.”

“We must be constantly prepared for the worst and constantly acting for the best; strong enough to win a war, and wise enough to prevent one.”

#15: Lyndon B. Johnson

PRESIDENTIAL RANKINGS SO FAR: 

#15: Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

#16: George W. Bush (2001-2009)

#17: John Adams (1797-1801)

#18: William McKinley (1897-1901)

#19: William Taft (1909-1913)

#21/20: Grover Cleveland (1885-89/1893-97)

#22: George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)

#23: Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

#24: Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)

#25: John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)

#26: Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)

#27: Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

#28: Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

#29: Zachary Taylor (March 1849-July 1850)

#30: Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

#31: Chester Arthur (1881-1885)

#32: Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

#33: John Tyler (1841-1845)

#34: Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

#35: Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

#36: Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

#37: James Buchanan (1857-1861)

#38: Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

#39: Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

#40: Warren Harding (March 1921-August 1923)

#41: Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

#42*: James Garfield (March 1881-September 1881)

#43*: William Henry Harrison (March 1841-April 1841)