On November 12th, the Library welcomed Dr. Betty Boyd Caroli, accomplished author, professor, and expert on the role of the First Lady in American history. Dr. Caroli delighted the audience with tales from her latest book, Lady Bird and Lyndon -- The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President, which gives a behind the scenes analysis of how this marriage influenced the 36th President of the United States. Lady Bird Johnson is often remembered as a passive wife who President Johnson married for financial reasons and exploited for political advantage. In her talk, Dr. Caroli shed new light on this successful marriage, revealing the relationship to be a functional political partnership in which Lady Bird was a key strategist, a crucial therapist, and a woman of agency. Dr. Caroli is the author of First Ladies: Martha Washington to Michelle Obama, Inside the White House, and The Roosevelt Women.
