Lyndon Baines Johnson (/ˈlɪndən ˈbeɪnz/; August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969, and previously as 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963. In school, Johnson was an awkward, talkative youth who was elected president of his 11th-grade class. He graduated in 1924 from Johnson City High School, where he participated in public speaking, debate, and baseball. Pressured by his parents to attend college, he enrolled at a 'subcollege' of Southwest Texas State Teachers College (SWTSTC) in the summer of 1924, where students from unaccredited high schools could take the 12th-grade courses needed for admission to college. He worked at his cousin's legal practice and in various odd jobs before returning to Texas, where he worked as a day laborer. How We Got Here: The '70s. New York City: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-04195-4.