Founding of the Society for a More Beautiful National Capital First Lady Lady Bird Johnson was a conservationist and lover of nature. She believed that the environment could help shape people's lives by improving their health and attitudes. In 1964, she established the Society for a More Beautiful National Capital to improve neighborhoods and tourist attractions in Washington, DC. Her projects centered around trash cleanup, building renovation, and <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/432">planting flowers</a>. She hoped that Washington would become an example to the rest of the cities of the country for the power of beautification. Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library. <a href="http://www.lbjlibrary.net/collections/photo-archive.html">View original</a>. 1964 <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=38&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1950-1979">1950-1979</a>