2morrow™
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Driving & teaching
Innovation. |
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"The wise person makes learning a joy. . . Proverbs 15:2"
Born January 19, 1918 in rural Arkansas City, Arkansas,
John H. Johnson was the grandson of slaves His father Leroy Johnson
was killed in a sawmill accident when "young Johnny" was eight years of age.
His mother Gertrude Jenkins Johnson further impoverished did not give hope
and her faith they could have more than what Arkansas offered. She saved her
meager earnings as a cook and washerwoman for years until she could afford
to move her family to Chicago. There, Johnson was exposed to something he
never knew existed: middle class blacks. He attended an all black high
school during the day and poured over self-improvement books at night. His
classmates at DuSable High were Nat King Cole, Redd Foxx and future
entrepreneur William Abernathy. Johnson is the founder, publisher, chairman
and CEO of the Johnson Publishing Company Inc., Chicago, Ill., the largest
black-owned publishing company in the world. Ebony is the nation's number
one African-American -oriented magazine with a circulation of 1.7 million
and a monthly readership of 11 million. Johnson Publishing Company also has
a book division and employs more than 2,600 people with sales of over $388
million. Johnson Publishing owns Fashion Fair Cosmetics, the number one
makeup and skin care company for women of color around the world and Supreme
Beauty products, hair care for men and women and is involved in television
production and produces the Ebony Fashion Fair, the world's largest
traveling fashion show, which has donated over $47 million to charity. The
show visits more than 200 cities in the United States, Canada and the
Caribbean. Johns H. Johnson serves on the boards of directors of
Dillard's Inc., and he has served on the boards of First Commercial Bank,
Little Rock; Dial Corporation; Zenith Radio Corporation; and Chrysler
Corporation.A Chronology of Achievement1933 -- Moves with his mother
to Chicago, part of African-America's Great Migration and enrolled in
DuSable High School 1936 -- on graduation invited to speak at a
dinner held by the Urban League. President of the Supreme Liberty Life
Insurance Company, Harry Pace was so impressed with Johnson's speech that he
offered him a job and a scholarship to attend college part-time. Late 30s
dropped his studies at the University of Chicago1939 -- 21 years old and
becomes editor of Pace's in-house magazine. Collecting articles culled from
national publications, Johnson realizes he's struck gold.1941 -- married
Eunice Walker and assumed a full-time position at Supreme Liberty Life. 1942
(November) -- borrowed $500 against his mother's furniture and started
Johnson Publishing Company. Got idea for Negro Digest, the forerunner
of Ebony, while selecting articles for Pace to keep abreast of
current events of interest to blacks. 1942 -- launched the Negro Digest,
which took a serious look at racial issues and featured articles from
prominent black and white writers. Office of Johnson Publishing Co. on the
second floor of Chicago's Supreme Life Insurance Co. building in a room in
the private law office of Earl B. Dickerson.1942 (June) -- circulated 50,000
of Negro Digest, modeled on Reader's Digest but aimed at
African-Americans.1943 (October) -- readership soared of Negro Digest to
100,000 when one of his regular contributor columns, "If I was a Negro" was
penned by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. With no competition cash was raked
in.1943 -- the publisher bought the company's first building to house
EBONY and its sister publication Negro Digest at 5619 South State
Street in Chicago.1945 -- launched Ebony, a breakthrough
vehicle for national advertisers to target black middle-class markets. 1949
-- opened first major building, a converted funeral parlor at 1820 South
Michigan Ave. Remained the company headquarters for 23 years1951 -- created
Jet (1951, a pocket-sized weekly publication that highlighted news of
African-Americans in the social limelight, political arena, entertainment,
business, and the sports world. With presently a readership of over eight
million. 1957 -- accompanied Vice President Richard M. Nixon on a
special goodwill tour to nine African countries 1959 -- accompanied Vice
President Nixon to Russia and Poland. 1961 -- appointed by President
John F. Kennedy as Special U.S. Ambassador to the Independence Ceremonies of
the Ivory Coast; and 1963 -- appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as
Special United States Ambassador to the Independence Ceremonies of
Kenya. 1965 -- received NAACP's coveted Spingarn Medal for the highest and
most achievements by an African American 1966 -- appointed by President
Johnson to the National Selective Service Commission. 1969 -- received the
Horatio Alger Award and the USC Journalism Alumni Association's
Distinguished Achievement Award 1970 -- appointed by President Nixon as a
member of the President's Commission for the Observance of the 25th
Anniversary of the United Nations.1971 -- moved Johnson Publishing to its
new 11-story headquarters on Chicago's fashionable Michigan Avenue, becoming
the first black-owned business to be located in the Loop.1982 -- names as
the first black to the Forbes' list of the 400 wealthiest Americans.1987 --
Black Journalists' Lifetime Achievement Award 1990 -- estimated personal
wealth $150 million.1993 -- received The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones
Entrepreneurial Excellence Award 1996 -- received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, the highest honor the nation can bestow on a citizen, from
President Bill Clinton2001 -- received the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame
Award sponsored through the Sam M. Walton College of Business of the
University of Arkansas2002 -- received the Vanguard Award and The Trumpet
Award
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Imagine 2morrow™, Inc. Copyright © 2005. All Rights Reserved. |
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John H. Johnson (b.
1918--d. 2005) Publisher & Business Executive