Walter Jenkins
| Walter Jenkins | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
Walter Wilson Jenkins March 23, 1918 Jolly, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 23, 1985 (aged 67) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Resting place | Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery and Mausoleum |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Marjorie Whitehill (m. 1945–85) |
| Children | 6 |
Walter Wilson Jenkins (March 23, 1918 – November 23, 1985) was an American political figure and longtime top aide to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Jenkins' career ended after a sex scandal was reported weeks before the 1964 presidential election, when Jenkins was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct with another man in a public restroom in Washington, D.C.
Jenkins was born in Jolly, Texas, and spent his childhood in Wichita Falls, Texas. There he attended Hardin Junior College and then spent two years at the University of Texas, though he did not earn a degree. In 1945, following his discharge from the Army, he converted to Roman Catholicism and married Helen Marjorie Whitehill.
Jenkins and his wife had six children, four boys and two girls. They separated in the early 1970s but never divorced. She died in 1987.
Jenkins began working for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1939 when Johnson was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives as the member from Texas's 10th congressional district. For most of the next 25 years, Jenkins served as Johnson's top administrative assistant, following Johnson as he rose to become a Senator, Vice President under John F. Kennedy, and President.
From 1941 until 1945, Jenkins served in the United States Army during World War II. In 1951, he returned to Wichita Falls to run for the House of Representatives. Jenkins lost to Frank N. Ikard in a race marked by attacks on Jenkins because of his Roman Catholic faith.
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