This video, Lady Bird Johnson’s Home Movie #9, features hydroelectric power as a theme. Starting around 3:55, she shows us the building of the Mansfield Dam, which helped generate the power “for the farmers,” and and then Buchanan Dam (named after the Congressman who preceded LBJ in District 10).

The dams also created the central Texas lakes, so it is only fair that after the construction scenes we then get to see the Johnsons and their friends enjoying themselves on the water (around 5:40). Also featuring Sam Rayburn; George Brown of Brown and Root Construction, who helped build the dams; and Alvin Wirtz. At about 6:46 Lady Bird talks about the National Youth Administration, and we see NYA roadside parks and workshops. 

The first part of the movie, shot in 1943, consists of Lady Bird taking us on a tour of the University of Texas-Austin campus—her alma mater—including landmarks the Littlefield Fountain and the Tower. The Tower is lit orange, because, naturally, UT has just won a football game.

Source: youtube.com

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  1. This was featured in #History
  2. lbjlibrary posted this