Lady Bird Johnson's 1964 Whistle Stop Tour: Savannah, Georgia
10/8/1964
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This is a White House Communications Agency sound recording from Lady Bird Johnson’s Whistle Stop Tour across the South in October 1964 (the video includes photos from her trip).
Three months after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, President and Lady Bird Johnson turned their attention to the upcoming election. While LBJ was key to helping the Democratic ticket carry the South in 1960, many Southerners were angry about the civil rights legislation. Lady Bird boarded a train named the "Lady Bird Special" to campaign for her husband’s presidential bid in states from Virginia to Louisiana. She knew she knew she would face hostile crowds, but she wanted to carry their message to Southerners and express the Johnsons’ pride in that part of the country.
As aide Liz Carpenter said later, "Our star attraction was a Southern-bred First Lady. We were supposed to blow kisses and spread love through eight states and make them like it…." Lady Bird’s Whistle Stop campaign tour journey began in Washington, DC, on October 6. It continued for four days through eight states, totaling 1,682 miles. It stopped in 28 cities, ending in New Orleans on October 9, 1964. Lady Bird, her daughters Lynda and Luci, 100 or so members of the press, and more than a dozen white-gloved "hostesses" rode aboard the un-air-conditioned Lady Bird Special.
Hospitality committees along the route gave out pennants, buttons, and other small campaign material for visitors aboard the Lady Bird Special and the crowds gathered to see Lady Bird. In the dining car, in another nod to Southern hospitality, guests were treated to specialty dishes from each state along the route: Virginia ham, North Carolina BBQ, Georgia pecan pie, and Louisiana shrimp creole were among the choices.
In addition to the hospitality committees, travelers and dignitaries from the states could also visit with the Masters of Ceremonies, Congressman Hale Boggs and Luther Hodges, depending on which leg of the journey they were on board. The Masters of Ceremonies were also responsible for introducing Mrs. Johnson and her daughters to the crowds at each of the stops.
Three months after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, President and Lady Bird Johnson turned their attention to the upcoming election. While LBJ was key to helping the Democratic ticket carry the South in 1960, many Southerners were angry about the civil rights legislation. Lady Bird boarded a train named the "Lady Bird Special" to campaign for her husband’s presidential bid in states from Virginia to Louisiana. She knew she knew she would face hostile crowds, but she wanted to carry their message to Southerners and express the Johnsons’ pride in that part of the country.
As aide Liz Carpenter said later, "Our star attraction was a Southern-bred First Lady. We were supposed to blow kisses and spread love through eight states and make them like it…." Lady Bird’s Whistle Stop campaign tour journey began in Washington, DC, on October 6. It continued for four days through eight states, totaling 1,682 miles. It stopped in 28 cities, ending in New Orleans on October 9, 1964. Lady Bird, her daughters Lynda and Luci, 100 or so members of the press, and more than a dozen white-gloved "hostesses" rode aboard the un-air-conditioned Lady Bird Special.
Hospitality committees along the route gave out pennants, buttons, and other small campaign material for visitors aboard the Lady Bird Special and the crowds gathered to see Lady Bird. In the dining car, in another nod to Southern hospitality, guests were treated to specialty dishes from each state along the route: Virginia ham, North Carolina BBQ, Georgia pecan pie, and Louisiana shrimp creole were among the choices.
In addition to the hospitality committees, travelers and dignitaries from the states could also visit with the Masters of Ceremonies, Congressman Hale Boggs and Luther Hodges, depending on which leg of the journey they were on board. The Masters of Ceremonies were also responsible for introducing Mrs. Johnson and her daughters to the crowds at each of the stops.
This primary source comes from the Collection LBJ-WHCA: Records of the White House Communications Agency (Johnson Administration).
Full Citation: Lady Bird Johnson's 1964 Whistle Stop Tour: Savannah, Georgia; 10/8/1964; Sound Recordings of Lady Bird Johnson's Whistle Stop Campaign Tour, 10/6/1964 - 10/9/1964; Collection LBJ-WHCA: Records of the White House Communications Agency (Johnson Administration); Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, Austin, TX. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/lady-bird-johnson-whistle-stop-savannah, October 9, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
