How Lady Bird Johnson Popularized Ro-Tel Canned Tomatoes - Chowhound

Carl Roettele founded the Ro-Tel company in 1943, and it soon became a Texas staple before making inroads in states bordering Texas. But it took Lyndon B. Johnson's political rise, with Lady Bird by his side, for Ro-Tel to gain a national reputation. When Lady Bird, who was the Second Lady at the time, called Ro-Tel tomatoes her secret ingredient, the brand got the exposure it needed to become a household name…