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Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson Quotes

36th U.S. President

Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, served from 1963 to 1969. He assumed the presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy and is known for his 'Great Society' programs aimed at reducing poverty and racial injustice.

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Famous Lyndon B. Johnson Quotes

“No one has the right to use America's rivers and America's Waterways, that belong to all the people. as a sewer. The banks of a river may belong to one man or one industry or one State, but the waters which flow between the banks should belong to all the people.”

People Men Should May States Use America Water Industry Flow Rivers Environmental One Man Sewers Rivers And Water Water Pollution

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“Above the pyramid on the great seal of the United States it says in Latin: "God has favored our undertaking." God will not favor everything that we do. It is rather our duty to divine His will.”

States America United United States Divine Duty Favors Gods Will Latin Pyramids Seals Undertakings

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“A third place to build the Great Society is in the classrooms of America. There your children's lives will be shaped. Our society will not be great until every young mind is set free to scan the farthest reaches of thought and imagination. We are still far from that goal.”

Mind Children Stills America Young Goal Imagination Education Thirds Our Children Your Children Our Society Classroom Young Minds Great Society Third Place

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“Today, 8 million adult Americans, more than the entire population of Michigan, have not finished 5 years of school. Nearly 20 million have not finished 8 years of school. Nearly 54 million - more than one-quarter of all America - have not even finished high school.”

Years Today School America Education Millions High School Adults Population Finished Quarters Michigan

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“First, this law - the National Defense Education Act - ended years and years of debate about one controversial question: 'Shall the Federal Government, with all its massive resources, get directly involved in aiding American education?' The answer this law gave was a loud 'Yes!' - and thus we paved the way for a new era of support for education in America. This law, in fact, helped make possible more than 50 new education laws passed in my administration.”

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968-1969

“As it was 189 years ago, so today the cause of America is a revolutionary cause. And I am proud this morning to salute you as fellow revolutionaries. Neither you nor I are willing to accept the tyranny of poverty, nor the dictatorship of ignorance, nor the despotism of ill health, nor the oppression of bias and prejudice and bigotry. We want change. We want progress. We want it both abroad and at homeand we aim to get it.”

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1966

“America has not always been kind to its artists and scholars. Somehow the scientists always seem to get the penthouse while the arts and humanities get the basement.”

Kind Art Seems America Artist Humanity Scientist Rewards Scholar Basements Arts And Humanities Penthouses

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“I want every family in America to have a carpet on the floor and a picture on the wall. After bread, you've got to have a picture on the wall.”

Want America Wall Bread Carpet

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“So, I would appeal to my fellow Americans by saying, the only real road to progress for free people is through the process of law and that is the road that America will travel.”

People Real America Law Process Progress Fellows Appeals

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“Justice requires us to remember that when any citizen denies his fellow, saying, 'His color is not mine,' or 'His beliefs are strange and different,' in that moment he betrays America, though his forebears created this nation.”

Different Moments America Remember Belief Nations Justice Mines Strange Color Citizens Fellows Deny That Moment Betray

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“A rioter with a Molotov cocktail in his hands is not fighting for civil rights any more than a Klansman with a sheet on his back and mask on his face. They are both more or less what the law declares them: lawbreakers, destroyers of constitutional rights and liberties and ultimately destroyers of a free America.”

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1966

“Sometimes among our more sophisticated, self-styled intellectuals--and I say self-styled advisedly; the real intellectual I am notsure would ever feel this way--some of them are more concerned with appearance than they are with achievement. They are more concerned with style then they are with mortar, brick and concrete. They are more concerned with trivia and the superficial than they are with the things that have really built America.”

Way Feels Real Self Sometimes America Style Achievement Intellectual Built Concerned Criticism Appearance Ideology Concrete Sophisticated Superficial Bricks Academia Mortar Trivia

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“I pray we are still a young and courageous nation, that we have not grown so old and so fat and so prosperous that all we can think about is to sit back with our arms around our money bags. If we choose to do that I have no doubt that the smoldering fires will burst into flame and consume us - dollars and all.”

Ifs Thinking Stills America Young Nations Doubt Fire Arms Praying Dollars Fats Flames No Doubt Bags Courageous Prosperous I Pray

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“This is not Johnson's war. This is America's war. If I drop dead tomorrow, this war will still be with you.”

Ifs Stills War America Tomorrow Johnson

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“The men who have guided the destiny of the United States have found the strength for their tasks by going to their knees. This private unity of public men and their God is an enduring source of reassurance for the people of America.”

People Men States America Found Prayer United Destiny United States Source Tasks Unity Endure Knees Reassurance

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“Our society is illuminated by the spiritual insights of the Hebrew prophets. America and Israel have a common love of human freedom, and they have a common faith in a democratic way of life.”

Way Humans America Spiritual Common Democratic Israel Insight Prophet Our Society Hebrew Human Freedom Spiritual Insight

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968-1969

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968-1969

“I report to you that our country is challenged at home and abroad: that it is our will that is being tried and not our strength; our sense of purpose and not our ability to achieve a better America.”

Country Home America Purpose Ability Achieve Our Country Reports

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968-1969

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1968-1969

“For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground.”

America Stars Sleep Desert Presidential Patriotic Harvest Sleeping In Us President Ridges

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson

“We can and should have an abundance of trails for walking, cycling, and horseback riding, in and close to our cities. In the backcountry we need to copy the great Appalachian Trail in all parts of America.”

Needs Should America Cities Environment Walking Should Have Abundance Copies Riding Trails Cycling Horseback Horseback Riding Appalachian Trail

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965

“Our society is illuminated by the spiritual insights of the Hebrew prophets. America and Israel have a common love of human freedom, and they have a common faith in a democratic way of life. ... Most, if not all of you, have very deep ties with the land and with the people of Israel, as I do; for my Christian faith sprang from yours. The Bible stories are woven into my childhood memories as the gallant struggle of modem Jews to be free of persecution is also woven into our souls.”

“If there is one word that describes our form of society in America, it may be the word-voluntary.”

Ifs Giving May America Form Philanthropy One Word

Author:Lyndon B. Johnson