Abstract: Houston’s only official nickname is Space City. This presentation will explore how in the 1960’s a city better known for its oil industry became nearly synonymous with the US Space Program. The influence of Lyndon B. Johnson in establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958 as Senate Majority Leader, and then of bringing the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) to Houston in 1961, will be described. Johnson’s continuing support for the space program led to a successfu…