Claudia Alta Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson (December 22, 1912 - July 11, 2007) was the wife of Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1963 to 1969. Notably well-educated for her time, she proved a capable manager and a shrewd investor. After marrying LBJ in 1934 when he was a political hopeful in Austin, Texas, she used a modest inheritance to bankroll his congressional campaign, and then ran his office while he was serving in the navy. Next, she bought a radio station and then a TV station, which would soon make them millionaires. The Johnsons had two daughters; Lynda Bird and Luci Baines. As First Lady, she broke new ground by interacting directly with Congress, employing her own press secretary, and making a solo electioneering tour. As First Lady, she started a capital beautification project to improve physical conditions in Washington, D.C., for both residents and tourists by planting millions of flowers. Her beliefs regarding the importance of national beautification can best be summarized in her statement that "where flowers bloom, so does hope." The Highway Beautification Act was informally known as Lady Bird's Bill. She was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest US civilian honors. She died at home of natural causes in 2007 at the age of 94. Painting by Elizabeth Shoumatoff in a dress designed by George Stavropoulos.