Issued in memory of our 36th President, who took office following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Although Johnson was considered a champion of civil rights, his term was overshadowed by the events in Vietnam. Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973) 36th President On November 22, 1963, at 2:39 p.m., Lyndon Baines Johnson took the Presidential oath of office, becoming the fourth man in United States history to assume the Presidency following the assassination of a Chief Executive. Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, near Stonewall, Texas. He taught debate and public speaking at Sam Houston High School in Houston, Texas, until 1931, when he formally entered politics. That year, Johnson campaigned for Richard M. Kleberg, a Democratic candidate for Congress. Kleberg won and he brought Johnson to Washington as his secretary. In 1935, President Roosevelt appointed Johnson the Texas state administrator of the National Youth Administration. Two years later, he was elected to a vacant Congressional seat. In 1948, Johnson defeated ten men to be elected U.S. Senator. He served in the Senate for 12 years. After John F. Kennedy defeated Johnson for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1960, Kennedy asked Johnson to be his running mate. The Kennedy – Johnson ticket proved to be a winning combination. Johnson took a more active role than any previous Vice President.