Historic Connection
Lyndon Johnson Taught in Cotulla Before Becoming President
In 1928, the future U.S. president taught at a segregated school for Mexican-American children in Cotulla.
Lyndon B. Johnson was a college student who needed money when he took a job at Welhausen Ward Elementary School in Cotulla in 1928. The school served Mexican-American students who were separated from white students under the segregation rules of the time. Johnson taught fifth, sixth, and seventh graders. He used his own paycheck to buy sports equipment for the kids.
Johnson later said the experience shaped his belief in expanding education for all Americans. He recalled it when he signed the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Welhausen School building still stands in Cotulla and became an official state historical landmark in 1990. The National Park Service has documented Johnson's time there as part of his broader biography.
Source to confirm: National Park Service — LBJ the Teacher