The KHOU-TV Collection - Press Barbecue at LBJ Ranch (1963)

Shortly after assuming the position of president, Lyndon B. Johnson welcomed West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard for an official state visit. Rather than hosting a formal State Dinner in Washington, DC, however, the new president invited the chancellor and his entourage to Stonewall for a barbecue, the first presidential barbecue in history. The state dinner—dubbed the Sparerib Summit—was not the weekend’s first barbecue. On December 27, two days before Chancellor Erhard’s arrival, the President and First Lady hosted some 200 reporters and photographers. Lady Bird Johnson gave a guided bus tour of the ranch, while Lyndon Johnson showed White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger around on horseback. The President’s favorite pitmaster, Walter Jetton, catered the meal. This news footage captures the event and many of its activities, including KHOU reporter Nick Gearhart speaking with the First Lady.