The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : He Was the 'Master of the Senate'

Lyndon Baines Johnson ruled the Senate as majority leader when he became the youngest person, at 46, ever to hold the position. Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Robert A. Caro, who called the third volume in his biography of Johnson "Master of the Senate," recently spoke at the Library about the man who was the nation's president from 1963 to 1969. You can listen to Caro's fascinating discussion and see him deliver his remarks in the CyberLC section of this Web site.

Lyndon B. Johnson, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left

Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson, Senate majority leader, Sept. 1955.

CyberLC offers more than 20 Webcasts of programs held at the Library - from readings by former Poet Laureate Billy Collins and Vartan Gregorian discussing his life and times to Harold Bloom on "Shakespeare and Genius" and a discussion on contemporary Native American women.

The Caro discussion was part of a series sponsored by the Center for the Book called "Books & Beyond." The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress was established in 1977 to promote books, reading, libraries and literacy. Within the Library, the center is a focal point for celebrating the legacy of books and the printed word. Outside the Library, the center works closely with other organizations to foster understanding of the vital role of books, reading, libraries and literacy in society.

The influence of the center has expanded dramatically since 1984 with the establishment of affiliated centers for the book in 50 states and the District of Columbia, a reading promotion partners program that includes more than 90 national civic and educational organizations and a broad network of national and international organizations and programs that promote books, reading and libraries.

You can connect to the Center for the Book in your state at the State Center Affiliates page.

The Center is well known for its Read More About It reading lists on a range of topics. Here you can find a reading list relating to all the American Memory online collections.

A. [Lyndon B. Johnson, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left], 1964. Photograph from the White House. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction information: Call No.: Item in PRES FILE - Johnson, Lyndon B.--Photo-Bust; Reproduction No.: LC-USZ62-13036 DLC (b&w film copy neg. of detail) LC-USZ62-21755 DLC (b&w film copy neg.)

B. Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson, Senate majority leader, Sept. 1955. Thomas J. O'Halloran, photographer. U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection, Prints and Photographs Division. Call No.: USN&WR COLL - Job no. 242, frame 2 [P&P] Reproduction No.: LC-U91-242-2 (b&w film neg.) LC-DIG-ppmsca-03141 (digital file from original)