Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson

Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson (1912-2007)

Mrs. Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor in the East Texas town of Karnack on December 22, 1912. She met the man whom she would marry when he was a Congressional secretary visiting Austin on official business. Lyndon Baines Johnson courted Lady Bird Taylor with all the single-minded energy he would later bring to elected office. They were engaged just seven weeks after their first date and married in November 1934. Her life with Lyndon Johnson was one of achievement in politics, business and philanthropy.

Lady Bird Johnson is probably best known for her support of her husband’s career. When Lyndon Johnson volunteered for the U.S. Navy in World War II, Mrs. Johnson ran his Congressional office, serving constituents’ needs in every way except voting. Her support for her husband’s political career continued throughout his years in government.

Lady Bird Johnson stood by her husband on the fateful November day in 1963 when Lyndon Johnson became the 36th President of the United States after the assassination of John Kennedy. After the Johnsons’ White House years ended in 1969, Mrs. Johnson authored A White House Diary, a memoir that drew on her considerable skills as a writer and historian. “I was keenly
aware that I had a unique opportunity, a front row seat, on an unfolding story and nobody else was going to see it from quite the vantage point that I saw it.” She also co-authored Wildflowers Across America with Carlton Lees.

On her 70th birthday in 1982, Mrs. Johnson founded the National Wildflower Research Center, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to the preservation and re-establishment of native plants in natural and planned landscapes. In December 1997, the property was renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in honor of Mrs. Johnson's 85th birthday. In 2006, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center became a part of The University of Texas at Austin, guaranteeing its permanent place in the national landscape—and ensuring that Lady Bird Johnson’s name will live on in the hearts of Americans.

Representative Wayne Smith

Representative Wayne Smith

In November 2002, Representative Wayne Smith was elected to the Texas House of Representatives to serve District 128, encompassing Baytown, Deer Park, La Porte, Morgan's Point, and portions of the unincorporated area of East Harris County.

Rep. Smith served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He told the Deer Park Broadcaster News newspaper on March 28, 2010, that, “Being a Vietnam Veteran, I have heard it said about
Vietnam that some gave all, but all gave some and I believe this to be true of all veterans of our armed forces.” Rep Smith added, “It is my hope that those Texans that made such a huge
sacrifice to serve their country be honored and remembered. Without their service our country would have not survived as the greatest country in the world.”

Rep. Smith Co-authored the legislation for the Texas Capitol Vietnam Monument. He said, “ It will forever serve as a reminder of the supreme sacrifices made by so many Texans who served in
this war. He added, “I took personal pride in the passing of this legislation. It has been over 30 years since the Vietnam War and it is time to recognize and remember those who gave so much for their country and their great state.”

The resolution for the “Vietnam Monument was sponsored by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Representative Wayne Smith and co-sponsored by more than 35 other legislators. It was unanimously passed by both houses of the legislature and was supported by Governor Rick Perry, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick.

Rep. Smith is Chairman of the House Committee for County Affairs and serves on the House Committee for Government Reform. County Affairs has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the organization of counties and the governing bodies of counties, and has oversight of the Commission on Jail Standards. Government Reform has jurisdiction over the operation and management of state departments, agencies, institutions, and advisory committees. In addition, Rep. Smith is a speaker appointee to the Environmental Permitting Review Board, Environmental and Natural Resource Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures, Texas Environmental Education Partnership Fund and the Energy Council.

Prior to his election, Rep. Smith was president of Wayne Smith and Associates, Inc. Consulting Engineers. Rep. Smith, a Licensed Professional Engineer and also a Registered Public Land Surveyor, remains active in professional activities. He was Construction Chairman of the Board of Directions of the Harris Country - Houston Sports Authority and Director of Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority and Coastal Water Authority before becoming an elected representative.

Rep. Smith and his wife, Brenda, live in Baytown. He has two children and three grandchildren.

Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa

Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa

State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa proudly represents the people of District 20 in the Texas Senate.

Hinojosa served his country with distinction in the U.S. Marines as a squad leader in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968. To honor our veterans, the Senator co-authored legislation in 2005 to create the Texas Capitol Vietnam Monument on the State Capitol grounds.

And, as a salute to Texas’ 3,400 soldiers who lost their lives in Vietnam, Texas celebrated
Vietnam Veterans’ Day on March 29. More than 58,000 members of the U.S. armed forces gave their lives to the cause in Southeast Asia. Senator Hinojosa said, “I believe that this holiday will encourage Texans to join each other in observing this solemn day of commemoration.”

Sen. Hinojosa also sponsored a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that requires Texas to partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies to open a Veterans Affairs Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. House Joint Resolution 7 and its companion bill (H.B. 2217) would allow the state to contribute money, property, and other resources for the maintenance and operation of a veteran’s hospital. He also authored a Senate Resolution urging Congress to restore the presumption of a service connection for Agent Orange exposure to Navy and Air Force veterans who served on the inland waterways and territorial waters and in the airspace of Vietnam.

This resolution communicates the Texas Legislature’s desire that Congress grant Vietnam veterans the benefits earned in combat. With an increasing number of active duty military service members falling victim to home foreclosures, Sen. Hinojosa sponsored legislation prohibiting the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of property owned by a military service member while the service member is engaged in active duty or during the nine months after the date on which that service period ends.

Senator Hinojosa also served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1990 and from 1997 to 2002.

In 1974, he received his law degree from Georgetown University. After returning to South Texas, he served as staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Nueces County and as an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Attorney General. Hinojosa started his own private practice in McAllen in 1980.

Senator Hinojosa was twice named one of Texas' "Top 10 Legislators" by Texas Monthly magazine, and he was named "Legislator of the Year" by the National Organization for Women. In 2005, he was recognized as a Legislator of the Year by the Justices of the Peace and Constables Association of Texas, and he received the John Henry Faulk Award from the American Civil Liberties Union. In 2006, Senator Hinojosa was awarded the Public Servant of the Year Award by the Texas Coalition of Texans with Disabilities.