This spittoon sat in the office of President Cecil Evans during LBJ's tenure at Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University). It is speculated that perhaps Johnson "used" this during one of his many visits to Evans' office. Back in those days, lots of men (and even some women) chewed tobacco, and so spittoons were to be found in public places, offices, and homes. Typically they sat on the floor, out of direct view and away from the flow of conversation and business transactions. Imagine what the floor surrounding the spittoon might have looked like!

The object is lightweight and made of copper. It is about 8 inches in diameter, stands 4 1/2 inches high, and is soddered in two places, once at the base and again at the neck between the base and funnel. It is likely that it was made from molds, but not mass-produced. This spittoon was in use during the 1920s, but could have been made earlier than that.

If anyone has information they would like to share about this particular artifact, or its historical, social, or political context, please e-mail Scott Jordan, Museum Director, at director@lbjmuseum.com .

If anyone owns an artifact related to Texas history or Johnson during the early 20th century, and would like to donate it to the museum, please email director@lbjmuseum.com , call us at (512) 353-3300, or write to Scott Jordan, LBJ Museum of San Marcos, P.O. Box 3, San Marcos, Texas, 78667.

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