Thursday, April 26th, 2007...9:14 pm
Jack Valenti
Former Lyndon Johnson aide Jack Valenti has died. He had been one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington as well as the guy that came up with the movie rating system. Before that though, he owned a Texas public relations agency. He was in charge of publicity for the John F. Kennedy’s ill-fated visit to Dallas in November of 1963. Johnson took him back to Washington with him and made him special assistant. Valenti can be seen in the sad picture of Johnson’s in-flight inauguration, in the shadows near the left most edge. I think he was the last living person in that photograph besides Lady Bird Johnson.
My first encounter with Valenti was through a book on public speaking that he wrote. Believe it or not, my high school had a public speaking elective. His book was our required text. I don’t remember most of it, but it often repeated this useful advice: “Don’t fall on your backside.”
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