Claim: Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law.

Lyndon Baines Johnson -LRB- -LSB- ˈlɪndən_ˈbeɪnz_ˈdʒɒnsən -RSB- August 27 , 1908January 22 , 1973 -RRB- , often referred to as LBJ , was an American politician who served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969 , assuming the office after serving as the 37th Vice President of the United States under President John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1963 . A Democrat from Texas , he also served as a United States Representative and as the Majority Leader in the United States Senate . Johnson is one of only four people who have served in all four federal elected positions .   Born in a farmhouse in Stonewall , Texas , Johnson was a high school teacher and worked as a Congressional aide before winning election to the House of Representatives in 1937 . He won election to the Senate in 1948 , and was appointed the position of Senate Majority Whip in 1951 . He became the Senate Minority Leader in 1953 and the Senate Majority Leader in 1955 . As a leader in the Senate , Johnson became known for his domineering personality and the `` Johnson treatment '' , his aggressive coercion of powerful politicians to advance legislation . Johnson ran for the Democratic nomination in the 1960 presidential election . Although unsuccessful , he was chosen by then-Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts to be his running mate . They went on to win a close election over the Republican ticket of Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. , and Johnson was sworn in as Vice President on January 20 , 1961 . On November 22 , 1963 , Johnson succeeded Kennedy as President following the latter 's assassination . Johnson won a landslide re-election in 1964 , defeating Republican Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona .   In domestic policy , Johnson designed the `` Great Society '' legislation by upholding civil rights , public broadcasting , Medicare , Medicaid , aid to education , the arts , urban and rural development , public services , and his `` War on Poverty '' . Assisted in part by a growing economy , the War on Poverty helped millions of Americans rise above the poverty line during his administration . Civil rights bills that he signed into law banned racial discrimination in public facilities , interstate commerce , the workplace , and housing ; the Voting Rights Act prohibited certain requirements in southern states used to disenfranchise African Americans . With the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 , the country 's immigration system was reformed , encouraging greater immigration from regions other than Europe . Johnson 's presidency marked the peak of modern liberalism after the New Deal era .   In foreign policy , Johnson escalated American involvement in the Vietnam War . In 1964 , Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution , which granted Johnson the power to use military force in Southeast Asia without having to ask for an official declaration of war . The number of American military personnel in Vietnam increased dramatically , from 16,000 advisors in non-combat roles in 1963 to 525,000 in 1967 , many in combat roles . American casualties soared and the peace process bogged down . Growing unease with the war stimulated a large , angry antiwar movement based especially on university campuses .   Johnson faced further troubles when summer riots broke out in most major cities after 1965 , and crime rates soared , as his opponents raised demands for `` law and order '' policies . While he began his presidency with widespread approval , support for Johnson declined as the public became upset with both the war and the growing violence at home . In 1968 , the Democratic Party factionalized as antiwar elements denounced Johnson ; he ended his bid for renomination after a disappointing finish in the New Hampshire primary . Nixon was elected to succeed him , as the New Deal coalition that had dominated presidential politics for 36 years collapsed . After he left office in January 1969 , Johnson returned to his Texas ranch , where he died of a heart attack at age 64 on January 22 , 1973 .   Johnson is ranked favorably by many historians because of his domestic policies and the passage of many major laws that affected civil rights , gun control , wilderness preservation , and Social Security . He also drew substantial criticism for his handling of the Vietnam War .