From the White House to the Deep Ocean: LBJ, Jaws and Conservation

The LBJ Presidential Library unveiled an intriguing new exhibit titled From the White House to the Deep Ocean: LBJ, Jaws, and Conservation.

Visitors delved into the extraordinary journey of Jaws author Peter Benchley—from his time as a White House speechwriter for President Lyndon B. Johnson to his rise as a bestselling novelist and, ultimately, a passionate advocate for ocean conservation. They explored the shared environmental legacy of the Johnsons and Benchley, the cultural tidal wave sparked by Jaws, and how the story that once terrified moviegoers also reshaped our understanding of sharks. The exhibit showed why Benchley devoted the rest of his life to protecting the creatures he once helped turn into icons of fear.