Welcome to the Johnson Family Association's "Famous and Notable Johnsons -- Johnstons" section of our Johnson Family History. This portion of our History section honors those Johnsons - Johnstons who have served as governors of the royal colonies before independence, the states and American territories.
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The governors who are highlighted just below can be found in our other government sections. Click on the highlighted names to go to them:
Herschel Vespasian Johnson - Georgia - vice president
David Johnson was born 3 Oct 1782 in Louisa County, Virginia. He moved to South Carolina and was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1812. He studied law and became an attorney.
David was elected Governor of South Carolina by the South Carolina General Assembly in a secret ballot 8 Dec 1846 and served from 1846-1848. He was a Democrat. He died 7 Jan 1855 and was buried at Presbyterian Cemetery, York, SC
George W. Johnson was born 27 May 1811 in Scott Co., Ky., a son of William Johnson Sr. and Elizabeth ("Betsy") Payne. He attended Transylvania University and became an attorney and farmer. He had farms in Scott County and another one in Arkansas. He married Ann Eliza Viley in 1833 and they had 8 children. He helped give the Democratic Party a strong political base in Kentucky and gained a strong political following for himself. He was offered nominations for both the lieutenant governorship and a bid for the US Congress. He declined both to remain in "private life". He was elected to the State Legislature in 1838 representing Scott County.
When the War for Southern Independence broke out, He was largely instrumental in organizing a provisional government for the State. On November 18, 1861 a convention assembled at Russellville for that purpose, and he saw his desires carried into effect. A constitution for the State was adopted, under which Kentucky was admitted to the Confederate States of America and he was chosen Provisional Governor.
After the Confederacy was compelled to move from the southern part of the state, he accompanied the army. He took the oath of a private, and enlisted in Company E, Fourth Kentucky Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, Tn. (Shiloh) on 8 Apr 1862 and died of his wounds the next day.
Henry Simpson Johnston was born 30 Dec 1867 near Evansville, In. 1870 and died in 1965. He was elected Governor of Oklahoma as a Democrat and served from Jan 1927 to 20 Mar 1929 when he was impeached and removed from office. He moved to Colorado at age 24 and later to Oklahoma. He was an attorney and admitted to the bar in 1891 and practiced in Perry, Ok. He died in Perry 7 Jan 1965. He was a Democrat.
Isaac Johnson was born 1 Nov 1803 at his father's plantation "Troy" near St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish, La. the fourth son of Judge John Hunter Johnson and Thenia Munson. His father was an attorney, judge, planter and sheriff. Isaac established his own law practice in 1828. He was elected as a Democrat to the Louisiana State House of Representatives in 1833. He was appointed a State Judge in 1839 of the 3rd Judicial Court.
In 1845, Isaac was nominated by the Democratic Party to run for governor against William De Buys of the Whig Party. Isaac won and assumed office at the age of 43 on 12 Feb 1846. In his inaugural speech, he called for moving the state capitol. It was later moved to Baton Rouge. The Mexican War broke out that year and he put out a call for volunteers. He was in favor of annexation of all of Mexico.
One of the most important accomplishments during Isaac's administration was an act of the Louisiana in 1847 establishing the University of Louisiana, a bill he signed in 1847.
Isaac's succesor as governor appointed him as Louisiana Attorney General after he left office as governor on 15 Feb 1850; he served until 1854.
Isaac married Charlotte McDermott in 1828. She died in 1847. They had three children. He died 15 Mar 1853 in New Orleans while he was campaigning as a candidate for Associate Justice of the Louisiana State Supreme Court. He was buried on his plantation of Troy.
John Albert Johnson was born 28 Jul 1861 in Nicollet County, Mn., a son of Gustav Johnsen, an immigrant, and Caroline Christine Hadden. He was a Democratic candidate for the Minnesota State House of Representatives in 1888. He was elected to the Minnesota State Senate and served from 1899-1902. He was elected Governor of Minnesota and served from 1905-1909 and died in office.
In 1908, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for US President. John was married to Elinor ("Nora") Preston. He was a member of the Elks Club and a Woodmen of the World. He was a Presbyterian. He died 20 Sep 1909 and was buried at Greenhill Cemetery, St. Peter, Mn.
John Neely (Neely) Johnson was born 2 Aug 1825 in Johnson Township, Gibson Co., In., the son of Thomas Johnson and Juliette Neeley. He studied law and became an attorney. He went to California as a mule driver and then prospected for gold. He returned to his law practice in California and became City Attorney of San Francisco. He was elected to the State Assembly.
He was elected as the youngest Governor of California in history at age 30, as a member of the Know-Nothing Party and served from 9 Jan 1856 to 8 Jan 1858. During his one term, a mob of 3,000 men, led by the Committee of Vigilance (which made the name "vigilante" infamous) virtually took over the city of San Francisco. Neely tried to get William Tecumseh Sherman (of later War for Southern Independence infamy) to take over a group of State Militia and restore order but Sherman ended up siding with the vigilantes. Neeley married Mary Zabriskie and they had two daughters.
Joseph Blaine Johnson was born in Sweden 29 Aug 1893. He immigrated to the US and became an engineer. He was elected to the Vermont State House of Representatives in 1945 and to the Vermont State Senate in 1947. He was elected Governor of Vermont and served from 1955 - 1959. He was a member of the Congregationalist Church. He died 25 Oct1986.
Keen Johnson was born in Lyon Co., Ky. 12 Jan 1896. He was elected as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky as a Democrat under Gov. A. B. Chandler and served from 10 Dec 1935 - 9 Oct 1939, when he was elected Governor of Kentucky and served from 12 Dec 1939 to 7 Dec 1943. Keen died in 1970.
The Keen Johnson Building on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University was named for him and is well known for its clock tower.
Sir Nathaniel Johnson served as the Provincial Governor of the Colony of South Carolina from 1703 to 1709. He was born in Durham County, England and was named by the king of England as Governor of the Leeward Islands in Southeast Asia in 1686. After the king died, he resigned his office. His wife and family sailed for England but were captured by the French. His wife died as a prisoner in a French prison.
Nathaniel then sailed to South Carolina and established a plantation there, where he tried to establish a major silk production industry. He had more than 24,000 mulberry trees and vast numbers of silk worms. He was appointed Governor of the Province of South Carolina by the Lords Proprietors. His plantation became known as "Silk Hope". He became one of the largest slave owners in the American colonies.
His son, Robert Johnson Sr., later became the Royal Governor of the colony after it became a Crown Colony under the king of England.
Paul Burney Johnson Jr. was born 23 Jan 1916 at Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the son of US Representative Paul B. Johnson Sr. and Corrine Venable. He attended Columbia Military Academy, Columbia, Tn. and graduated from the University of Mississippi where he was the first sophomore in the school's history to become president of the student body. He was admitted to the bar in 1940 and began a law practice. When World War II broke out , he enlisted in the US Marine Corps, rising from private to captain.
Following the War, Johnson became Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Mississippi from 1948 to 1951. His excellent political record brought his election as Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi in 1959. Upon completion of his term, he ran for and was elected Governor of Mississippi and served from 1964 to 1968. He ran against the first credible Republican candidate in Mississippi since the yankee "reconstruction" era of 1881.
Robert Johnson Sr. was the son of Sir Nathaniel Johnson. He came to the Province of South Carolina with his father in the 1680's. His father served as Governor of the Province. He inherited his father's vast plantation "Silk Hope".
When South Carolina became a Royal Colony under the king of England, the King appointed Robert as the first Royal Governor of the Colony of South Carolina. He served from 1717 to 1719 under the Lords Proprietors and again from 1729 to 1735 as Royal Governor.
Walter Walfred Johnson was born in 16 Apr 1904 in Pueblo, Co.
He was elected as a Democrat to the Colorado State House of Representatives and served from 1941 to 1949, when he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Colorado and served from 1949-1950.
Walter was elected Governor of Colorado and served from 15 Apr 1950 to 9 Jan 1951.
William Freame Johnston was born 29 Nov 1808 in Pa., a son of Alexander Johnston and Elizabeth Freame. He was elected as a Whig Party candidate as governor of Pennsylvania and served from 26 Jul 1848 to 20 Jan 1852. He was defeated for reelection in 1851.
He was married to Mary Monteith. He died 25 Oct 1872 and was buried at Pittsburgh, Pa.
The governors who are highlighted just below can be found in our other government sections:
Charles Phillip Johnson was born 8 Jan 1836. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri and served from 1873-1875. He died 21 May 1920.
Marlene Johnson was born 1946 in Braham, Mn. She was elected Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota and served from 1983-1981.
Roy W. Johnson was elected as a Republican Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska and served from 1943 - 1947.
W. A. Johnson served as Lieutenant Governor of Texas from 1917-1920.
William E. Johnson was elected as a Republican to the office of Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska and served from 1939 - 1943.
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