reaching 65 years old and he was 64. just one month earlier in december 1972, johnson had gathered civil rights leaders at his newly opened presidential library in austin e, texas, to commemorate the legacy he wanted. with which he completed the legislative work begun under his predecessor, john f. kennedy. during the commemoration, suffering severe heart pain, and startling the audience by popping a nitroglycerin capsule into his mouth, johnson lamented he hadn t done enough to advance equal rights. and repeated his famous 1965 speech to congress, we will overcome. democrats are rethinking the johnson legacy. so stap stained by the war effo from michael dukakis, to john kerry, to bill clinton.