page_title: Jim Novy
section_title: Relationship with Lyndon Johnson
hierarchical_section_title: Jim Novy / Relationship with Lyndon Johnson
caption_attribution_description: English: Jim Novy and Lyndon Baines Johnson, circa 1965
context_page_description: Jim Novy was an Austin, Texas businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He immigrated to Texas alone as a teenager under the Galveston Plan with just a few dollars in his pocket. Soon, he became wealthy in the scrap metal business. He became a philanthropist, partial to Jewish causes. He became a patron to numerous political figures, most notably he supported the career of Lyndon B. Johnson. He became notable figure in Austin politics with his power felt as far away as the White House and Israel. He was a Mason, Odd Fellow, Shriner, Knight of Pythias, a member of the board for the Boy Scouts of America, Director of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, and Director of the Salvation Army.
context_section_description: Jim Novy was one of Lyndon B. Johnson's (LBJ) great benefactors. Novy first met LBJ when LBJ was serving as assistant to Congressman Richard Kleberg. They became close when LBJ served as head of the National Youth Administration at the time Novy needed help placing European refugees; this collaboration between LBJ and Novy is referred to as Operation Texas. Novy and LBJ worked closely on many Jewish issues, particularly when LBJ was a senator in the early days of the state of Israel.
  In 1962, when LBJ was vice-president under John F. Kennedy, the federal government condemned the land that Congregation Agudas Achim synagogue was on in order to build a new government office building. Novy worked with LBJ to get a good price for the land. Once again, Jim Novy was in charge of another Agudas Achim Building committee. In September 1963 the building, located on Bull Creek Road, was almost completed. Using open topped automobiles, four Torahs were transported from the old synagogue to the new state-of-the-art building, including one which was driven using LBJ's personal limousine. Vice-President Johnson was scheduled to dedicate the new synagogue building on November 24, 1963. But when Kennedy was assassinated two days before in Dallas, LBJ became president and couldn't attend the dedication. Remembering his promise to his friend Jim Novy, LBJ came to Austin on December 30, 1963 to dedicate the building. It was the first time that a sitting president dedicated a synagogue building. It was also LBJ's first public function after the assassination.
  After the dedication, Novy was invited to the White House numerous times as a personal guest of LBJ. He was even present at one point to help LBJ work on his state of the union address.
  Late in LBJ's presidency, Novy managed to get White House support in providing financial aid for the publishing of the Encyclopaedia Judaica, occurring in 1972, the year after Novy's death in 1971. Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson were in attendance for Novy's funeral dedication at Congregation Agudas Achim, the same Austin synagogue the two men had helped previously dedicate.
caption: Jim Novy shares a personal moment with President Johnson in Novy's Austin office
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