San Marcos — The most famous San Marcos resident and graduate of Texas State University-San Marcos will be celebrated in his centennial year when the San Marcos Public Library and Texas State sponsor the 2008 Common Experience program about President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

The city and the San Marcos Public Library welcome the public to participate in the annual “Common Experience” program on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Library, 625 E. Hopkins.

“This year’s Common Experience selection is a particularly appropriate choice for San Marcos readers, since President  Johnson spent his formative college years here, graduating from Southwest Texas State Teachers College in 1930,” Mayor Susan Narvaiz said.

The library and university are joining communities large and small across the country in promoting a challenge to share in the reading of a single memorable book, this year, John Bullion’s book, “Lyndon B. Johnson and the Transformation of American Politics.”

The author and local participants in the recent LBJ oral history project will share personal stories about President Johnson and the continuing impact of his political career. 

Bullion also wrote “In the Boat with LBJ,” the story of his father’s service as Johnson’s tax attorney and business advisor. 

Residents are invited to check out either Bullion’s book or any of the library’s many biographies of the sometimes controversial 36th president.

Historic photographs and artifacts from the collections of the LBJ Museum of San Marcos and the San Marcos Public Library are now on display at the library and will be featured at this event.

This fall, the library and university are planning a series of book discussions, lectures, displays and films to encourage the entire community to read this outstanding book and engage in a memorable discussion of LBJ and civic responsibility.

The library has acquired many copies of the Johnson book so that everyone will have an opportunity to read it during the coming months. 

For more information about this community-wide reading event, visit the Common Experience Web site at www.txstate.edu/commonexperience.

Lyndon Johnson was born Aug. 27, 1908 in Gillespie County.