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Alice Marsh
Alice Glass Kirkpatrick (October 11, 1911 – December 9, 1976), best known as Alice Marsh, was an American socialite and political hostess who was the long-time mistress of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Their affair lasted twenty-five years, during which she advised him on matters both political and non-political.
She was born in Lott, Texas, the daughter of Judith (née Ligon) and George Glass. She also had a sister Mary Louise Glass. She grew up and attended high school in Marlin, Texas and attended Texas Christian University and Columbia University.
After graduating from Columbia, Glass moved to Austin, Texas where she worked as a secretary to state senator William R. Poage. In 1931, at a party, she met Charles E. Marsh, the powerful publisher of the Austin American-Statesman newspaper in Texas. Marsh was married and twenty-four years her senior; despite this, Glass became his mistress. Marsh reportedly showered her with gifts. Glass's cousin said: "The first time she came back to Marlin and walked down the street in her New York clothes and her jewels, women came running out of the shops to stare at her."
While Marsh was still married, Glass gave birth to two children: a daughter, Diana and a son, Michael. Marsh left his wife and the couple moved in together at home he had built specifically for her called Longlea, in Boston, Virginia. However, Glass refused to marry Marsh until 1940.
During her affair with Marsh, Glass met Lyndon B. Johnson, a first-term Congressman from Texas, when he first came to Longlea in 1937; Marsh was a patron and supporter of Johnson. Glass was reportedly immediately attracted to Johnson. Robert Caro, Johnson's biographer, said of their first meeting: "She believed that he was unlike the other politicians who came to Longlea, and whose conversation revealed, before a weekend was over, that their only interest was personal advancement... She believed that she had finally met a politician who was not constantly scheming on behalf of his ambition, a politician whose dreams were for others rather than for himself."
By 1938, the two began an affair. One acquaintance said: "They were unbelievably discreet and no one could have guessed that they were lovers. Nothing showed. Nothing at all." Whenever Marsh was out, she and Johnson would spend time together at Longlea. When Marsh was home, Johnson brought along his wife Lady Bird Johnson.
According to her sister Mary, the reason Alice refused to marry Marsh was because she wanted to marry Johnson, claiming that "Lyndon was the love of Alice's life. My sister was mad for Lyndon — absolutely mad for him." However, in 1939, Marsh discovered their affair. Glass had been unfaithful before but her affair with Johnson, whom Marsh had helped get elected, infuriated him and he threw him out of the house after berating him.
Johnson later came back and asked for Marsh's forgiveness, promising to discontinue his affair with Glass. Marsh forgave him. Marsh's daughter Antoinette commented on Marsh and Johnson's relationship: "They didn't let her come between them. Men in power like that don't give a damn about women. They were not that important in the end. They treated women like toys. That's just the way it was."
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Alice Marsh
Alice Glass Kirkpatrick (October 11, 1911 – December 9, 1976), best known as Alice Marsh, was an American socialite and political hostess who was the long-time mistress of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Their affair lasted twenty-five years, during which she advised him on matters both political and non-political.
She was born in Lott, Texas, the daughter of Judith (née Ligon) and George Glass. She also had a sister Mary Louise Glass. She grew up and attended high school in Marlin, Texas and attended Texas Christian University and Columbia University.
After graduating from Columbia, Glass moved to Austin, Texas where she worked as a secretary to state senator William R. Poage. In 1931, at a party, she met Charles E. Marsh, the powerful publisher of the Austin American-Statesman newspaper in Texas. Marsh was married and twenty-four years her senior; despite this, Glass became his mistress. Marsh reportedly showered her with gifts. Glass's cousin said: "The first time she came back to Marlin and walked down the street in her New York clothes and her jewels, women came running out of the shops to stare at her."
While Marsh was still married, Glass gave birth to two children: a daughter, Diana and a son, Michael. Marsh left his wife and the couple moved in together at home he had built specifically for her called Longlea, in Boston, Virginia. However, Glass refused to marry Marsh until 1940.
During her affair with Marsh, Glass met Lyndon B. Johnson, a first-term Congressman from Texas, when he first came to Longlea in 1937; Marsh was a patron and supporter of Johnson. Glass was reportedly immediately attracted to Johnson. Robert Caro, Johnson's biographer, said of their first meeting: "She believed that he was unlike the other politicians who came to Longlea, and whose conversation revealed, before a weekend was over, that their only interest was personal advancement... She believed that she had finally met a politician who was not constantly scheming on behalf of his ambition, a politician whose dreams were for others rather than for himself."
By 1938, the two began an affair. One acquaintance said: "They were unbelievably discreet and no one could have guessed that they were lovers. Nothing showed. Nothing at all." Whenever Marsh was out, she and Johnson would spend time together at Longlea. When Marsh was home, Johnson brought along his wife Lady Bird Johnson.
According to her sister Mary, the reason Alice refused to marry Marsh was because she wanted to marry Johnson, claiming that "Lyndon was the love of Alice's life. My sister was mad for Lyndon — absolutely mad for him." However, in 1939, Marsh discovered their affair. Glass had been unfaithful before but her affair with Johnson, whom Marsh had helped get elected, infuriated him and he threw him out of the house after berating him.
Johnson later came back and asked for Marsh's forgiveness, promising to discontinue his affair with Glass. Marsh forgave him. Marsh's daughter Antoinette commented on Marsh and Johnson's relationship: "They didn't let her come between them. Men in power like that don't give a damn about women. They were not that important in the end. They treated women like toys. That's just the way it was."