Mr. Greene Goes to Texas

LBJ’s Cabinet Oak Project brings recognition to local artist

     Harold Greene has been known in and around the Los Angeles Harbor Area as a fine woods craftsman for decades, who uses his creativity to design and build exquisite furniture. His reputation in the craft circles goes beyond his hometown of San Pedro and has gained some renown for  his other talent as a part time musician. He’s been doing both for many years and his one-of-a-kind tables and doors come with premium prices and artistry that’s hard to match. He has a waiting list of clients wanting his work. Recently, he was chosen to be one of 50 woodworkers in a national competition to make something out of a piece of a large limb that fell off a centuries-old white oak tree on former president Lyndon Baines Johnson’s ranch in Texas. Greene’s  submission is part of The Cabinet Oak Project, one of two temporary exhibitions at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park. Yes, LBJ had his ranch turned into a national park before he left office.

During the park’s restoration, select objects will be on display in Johnson City, re-creating President Johnson’s home office in an exhibition entitled, The Texas Oval Office. “President Johnson’s desk is the highlight, complete with work papers and his favorite piece of technology — a rotary dial telephone. It is said that Johnson spent 18 hours each day making phone calls,” according to the website. The press release states, “you’ll even be able to eavesdrop on a conversation with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as you visit and see Head of State gifts to the President that round out the exhibit just as they adorned the walls of the President’s office.”

The 50 chosen craftsmen were given free reign to do something with the piece of log shipped to them and then submit the end results. Greene mentioned this project to this reporter months before he had decided what to do with the wood. So, after some reflection on the assignment and considering who LBJ was as president, Greene chose to build a simple dovetailed box, nothing elaborate but simple.

This however was not just any box, but one that had a slit in the top and a vintage padlock on the lid that he rescued from a second-hand store on 6th Street. It resembled an old-fashioned ballot box and on the top of it he etched the preamble to  the 1965 voting rights act that President Johnson signed as one of his legacy pieces of legislation. That etching turned this unusual craft project into conceptual art.  It symbolized a part of the civil rights movement that ended poll taxes and other voting impediments imposed upon  people of color, in  mostly Southern states, while protecting the guarantee of free and fair elections. It had a personal meaning for Greene who grew up in San Pedro during that period of time. And he says this comes back to the national consciousness now because of the many new laws that have been passed in many of the red states, including Texas, that again limits people’s right to cast a ballot.

Greene titled the piece simply, Voting Box, and it stood out from many of the other beautiful creations because of its message and meaning. 

The Texas White House was the Johnsons’ home and a center of political activity for more than 20 years. Upon acquiring the home and accompanying property in 1951, Lyndon Johnson took every opportunity to return to his beloved LBJ Ranch, first as senator, then as vice president, and eventually as president. Johnson spent 25% of his presidential years, 1963 to 1969, at the ranch. Thanks to advances in technology, he was able to create a fully functioning version of the White House away from Washington, D.C., and his home office served as a rustic Texas equivalent of the Oval Office. President Johnson governed the nation from his ranch office, phoned political leaders, and hosted foreign dignitaries. When not in his office, President Johnson could often be found just outside in the yard under the impressive live oak tree holding meetings with his cabinet and staff.

This story might have ended here for Harold Greene but The Cabinet Oak Project became a celebration in the spring of 2023 to raise money for the renovation. The event was hosted by Garrison Brothers Distillery and included both an online and a live auction, food, drinks (bourbon from the distillery) and entertainment were promoted for a price. In the weeks before the actual event the three prominent judges voted for best of the show which earned Greene $1,000 top prize, then the online bidding raised the value of his voting box to over $2,000 which would be a relatively nice price for this 10 x 10 x 8-inch squarish piece — but wait — there’s more.

After the online auction ended and the guests were plied with booze, food and live music, the live auction began. Greene was in attendance with his wife Kathy in this rural hill country shindig and as his piece had been selected as best of the show it came up last on the live auction. Greene smiled when he told me what happened next. 

“It got bid up to $3,000, $4,000 and then to $5,000,” Greene said. 

But the bidding didn’t stop until the auctioneer’s gavel announced the final bid of $14,500! The highest price of the show. 

Greene was amazed and thought, “More than I could have imagined!”

With this the audience burst into applause and Greene, who was just trying to be a fly on the wall at this gala event, was thrust into the spotlight and became the center of attention.

This could possibly be the most expensive wooden box in America and then came the bigger surprise, who bought it?

As it turned out, the buyer was none other than Luci Baines Johnson, the daughter of LBJ. Who knew she was still alive? But if you live in this part of Texas she’s still a force to be dealt with and a big supporter of the arts. And suddenly, Harold Greene, the artisan from San Pedro, becomes the celebrated artist of Texas with national recognition for his voting box and gets his picture taken with the daughter of LBJ. While they were having their picture taken together, Luci leaned over to Greene and said, “This is what my father would have wanted.”

This box is now on display at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park collection and will check off another box on Harold Greene’s ascendant career as a master craftsman who has turned craft into a higher form of art. Greene says that this project has specific important significance given the current debate on the state of voting rights in the nation today. He said, “This has a personal meaning to me.”

Details: https://www.nps.gov/lyjo/learn/news/lbj-nhp-debuts-exhibits-highlighting-twh-rehab.htm