US Congress 
Welcome to the Johnson Family Club's "Famous and Notable Johnsons -- Johnstons" section of our Johnson Family History. This portion of our History section is intended to honor those Johnsons - Johnstons and descendants who have served in the United States House of Representatives.
If you have information on a Johnson - Johnston who became well-known (in any field), please send us a copy, along with any sources (book, magazine, newspaper, etc.) to preserve in the Family Library.
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Johnsons - Johnstons who have served in the Continentinal Congress and the Congress of the United States.
Johnsons - Johnstons who served in the United States Congress, House of Representatives
Samuel Robert ("Sam") Johnson was born 11 Oct 1930 in San Antonio, Tx. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1951 and received a MSIA degree from George Washington Univ., Washington, DC in 1974. He entered the US Air Force and served from 1950 to 1979. He then became a home builder. Sam served as a Republican in the Texas State House of Representatives from 1985-1991.
He was elected as a Republican to the House of Representatives of the 102nd US Congres in 1990 and to four terms after that, serving from 1991 to the present.
Thomas Johnson was born 4 Nov 1732 in Calvert County, Maryland. He moved to Annapolis at an early age where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. He served as a delegate to the Maryland Provincial Assembly from Anne Arundel County in 1762. He later served as a member of the Committee of Correspondence and on the Council of Safety. He assisted in organizing the Potomac Co. to improve navigation on the Potomac River. He was a member of the Annapolis Convention in 1774.
He served as a member of the Continental Congress from 1774-1776. He nominated George Washington as the Commander in Chief of the American forces on 15 Jun 1775, making Washington the general commanding the Continental Army. Thomas served as a delegate to the first Constitutional Convention of Maryland in 1776. He sereved as senior Brigadier General of Maryland Militia during the Revolutionary War.
In 1777, Thomas became the first Governor of a free State of Maryland and served until 1779. He moved to Frederick County and served as a Member of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1780, 1786 and 1787. He served as a member of the Maryland Convention which ratified the US Constitution in 1788. He was named Chief Judge of the General Court of Maryland in 1790 and 1791. In 1789, President Washington appointed him as the first United States Judge for the District of Maryland but he declined the honor. He was appointed Associate Justice of the United States Supreme court in 1971 and served until Feb 1793 when he resigned because of ill health. He declined an appointment as Secretary of State in 1795. In 1801, he was appointed by President Adams as Chief Judge of the Territory of Columbia (now the District of Columbia) in 1801. He also served as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the federal city. Thomas died 26 Oct 1819 at Rose Hill, Frederick, Md. and was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery there.
Thomas Dillard Johnston was born 1 Apr 1840 in Waynesville, Haywood County, North Carolina. He was a son of William Johnston and Lucinda Gudger. Thomas attended Col. Stephen Lee's Preparatory School in Asheville, NC and later attended the University of North Carolina in 1858, leaving in 1859 because of poor health. During the War for Southern Independence (1861-1865), Thomas served as 2nd Lt. in Company F, 14th NC Regiment of Infantry. He was severely wounded in battle and taken to a military hospital in Richmond, Va. His father traveled all the way to Va. to bring him home. Thomas was admitted to the bar in 1867 and began practice in Asheville. He was elected Mayor of Asheville in 1869 and to the NC House of Representatives 1870-1874. He declined reelection. He was elected to the State Senate in 1876.
In 1884, Thomas was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives of the 49th US Congress and for an additional term, serving from 1885 to 1889. He was defeated for reelection in 1888 and resumed his practice of law at Asheville.
Thomas married Leila Bobo of Spartanburg, SC. They had two daughters, Leila Mace and S. Eugenia. He gave the land to the federal government for the Asheville post office. An area history stated of him "his word was better than his bond, and his bond was as good as gold." He died 22 Jun 1902 and was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville.
Thomas Francis Johnson was born 26 Jun 1909 in Worcester County, Md. he graduated from Staunton Military Academy in 1926, St. John's College of the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland. He was admitted to the bar and practiced at Snow Hill, Md. He was elected chairman of the board of Commercial National Bank in Snow Hill. He ws elected State's Attorney in 1934 and to the Maryland State Senate in 1938, 1942 and 1946, serving from 1938 to 1951.
In 1958, he was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives of the 86 US Congress and reelected for a second term, serving from 1959 to 1963. He was defeated in 1962. He was later charged with seven counts of conflict of interest and defrauding the federal government. A charge of conspiracy was overturned by the Supreme Court. Thomas returned to his law practice. He died at Seaford, De. 1 Feb 1988.
Thomas Loftin ("Tom") Johnson was born 18 Jul 1854 in Scott County, Kentucky, the son of Albert W. Johnson and Helen Loftin. He was a grandson of William Johnson and Ann Holland Payne, both of Scott Co. The family originally came from Virginia. His father moved to Helena, Ar. for a brief period. Tom later lived in Louisville, Ky. for a few years, then moved to Indianapolis, IN. and then to Cleveland, Oh.
Tom had little formal education but he was a natural-born genius. He went to work in a steel rolling mill and gained knowledge of the iron and steel industry. He then worked for a street railway office in Louisville 1869-1875. He later became secretary of the company. As the volume of passengers on street cars in large cities grew, he saw the need for a simple device to take change for fares.
If you rode trolleys, street cars or buses from the early teens until the late 1960s there is a better than average chance that the token, nickel or dime or in later years the quarter that you used to pay your fare was dropped into a Johnson or Cleveland farebox. These venerable and well-made boxes were found on a large percentage of transit systems large and small in the United States. [our historian did ride such trolleys and buses in Atlanta and does remember them!]
Tom then invented such a farebox for coins in 1880 and it revolutionized the street car industry. In 1888, he became affiliated with the Saint Louis Car Co., which manufactured streetcars. From then on, the company had their cars equipped with a Johnson farebox. The company became the Johnson Farebox Co. He bought street railways in Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Brooklyn. He created a company to build his fare boxes and expanded his holdings to rolling mills and iron manufacturing. He amassed a fortune in these business interests.
He first entered politics in 1888 when he was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress. But in 1890, he won election as a Democrat to the House of Representatives 52nd US Congress and a second term, serving from 1891 to 1895 when he was defeated for reelection. He was later elected Mayor of Cleveland and served four terms from 1901-1909. While mayor, he fought against political bosses and the power clique in an effort to bring aid to the working folk and the poor. He also advocated municipal ownership of public utilities so the public could have lower energy costs, a plan that was never reached success in Cleveland but which was adopted by many other cities across the nation. He also sought improved sanitary facilities. He became revered as the greatest mayor in Cleveland history.
But the power structure eventually won out. He was defeated in his bid for reelection and lost much of his fortune by the time he died.
Tom married Maggie L. Johnson in 1874 in Louisville, Ky. They had three children: Robert Ruffin, Loftin Edwards and Elizabeth Flournoy.
T
imothy V. Johnson was born 23 Jul 1946 in Urbana, IL. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1964 and from the University of Illinois in 1969 and received a JD in law from Illinois in 1972. He became an attorney and realtor in Urbana. He was elected to the City Council 1971-1976 and in the Illinois State House of Representatives 1976-2000.Tim was elected as a Republican to the House of Representatives of the 107th US Congress in 2000 and is still in office.
Walter Eugene Johnston III was born 3 Mar 1936 in Winston-Salem, NC. He graduated from Georgia Military Academy in College Park, Ga. in 1953 and attended Duke University, Durham, NC 1953-54. He served in the US Army from 1954-1957. He later graduated from Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem in 1961 with a JD in law and received a BBA degree from there in 1963. He was admitted to the NC bar in 1961 and began tax law practice in Greensboro from 1967 - 1980.
In 1980, Walter was elected as a Republican to the House of Representatives of the 97th US Congress, serving one term from 1981 to 1983. He wad defeated for reelection. He became chairman of the board of a commercial printing company in Greensboro. He was defeated in a bid for the US Senate in 1992.
William Johnston was born in Ireland in 1819. He came to the US and settled in Ohio, where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. He practiced law in Mansfield from 1859-1863. He was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives of the 38th US Congress and served one term, 1863-1865. He was defeated for reelection in 1864. He died at Mansfield 1 May 1866 and is buried at Mansfield Cemetery. He was one of several aliens to serve in the US Congress.
William Cost Johnson was born 14 Jan 1806 in Frederick County, Maryland, a son of William Johnson and Catherine Cost. He was a grandson of Thomas Johnson Jr. of Md. William completed preparatory school and studied. He was admitted to the bar in 1831 and began practice in Jefferson, Frederick, Md. He was elected to the Maryland House of Representatives the same year and in 1832.
In 1832, William was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the House of Representatives of the 23rd US Congress and served one term. He was elected as Whig to the 25th Congress and to two terms after that, serving from 1837 to 1843. While in office, he was Chairman of the Committee on the District of Columbus and served on the Committee on Public Lands. After he left Congress, he practiced law in Washington, DC until his death there 14 Apr 1860. He was buried in the Reformed Church Cemetery, Jefferson, Md.
William Richard Johnson was born 15 May 1875 in Rock Island, IL. He moved with his parents to Freeport, IL. in 1879, where he attended the College of Commerce. He served from 1890-1894 as an apprentice and from 1894-1899 as a locomotive blacksmith in the Illinois Central Railroad shops at Freeport. He became a member of the US police force 1901-1919. He was appointed superintendent of the folding room of the House of Representatives and worked there 1919-1925.
In 1924, William was elected as a Republican to the House of Representatives of the 69th US Congress and served three more terms from 1925 to 1933. He was defeated for reelection in 1932 and returned to Freeport. He died there 2 Jan 1938 and was buried in Oakland Cemetery.
William Ward Johnson was born 9 Mar 1892 in Brighton, Washington County, Iowa. He moved to California and was elected as a Republican to the US House of Representatives and served two terms from 1941-1945. He was defeated for reelection in 1944. He died at Long Beach, Ca. 8 Jun 1963.
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