Glen Dale Johnson (September 11, 1911 – February 10, 1983), was a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

, a

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, and a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

for one term from 1947 to 1949.

Early life

Johnson was born in

Melbourne, Arkansas Melbourne is a city and county seat of Izard County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,848 at the 2010 census. It is home to the main campus of Ozarka College. Geography Melbourne is located at . According to the United States Ce ...

(a small town located in

Izard County Izard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,696. The county seat is Melbourne. Izard County is Arkansas's 13th county, formed on October 27, 1825, and named for War of 1812 Gener ...

) on September 11, 1911, son to Willie and Jeffie Johnson. In 1920, the family relocated to

Paden, Oklahoma Paden is a town in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 419 at the 2020 Census. It is named for Paden Tolbert, a U.S. Deputy Marshal who served the area in the early 1900s. Geography According to the United States Censu ...

, where he attended the public schools. He graduated from the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

Law School A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

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in 1939; he was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

the same year and began his

law practice In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...

in Okemah.

Career

Johnson was elected to the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

in 1940 and re-elected in 1942. He resigned from the Oklahoma House in January, 1942 to enlist in the

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following the

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and the U.S. entry into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. On a three-day pass, he married Imogene Storms in Okemah on December 5, 1942. While he entered the Army as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

, in May 1946 he was discharged as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. Upon his return to Oklahoma, he resumed his practice of law. Johnson ran for and was elected to Congress (from Oklahoma's 4th Congressional district) as a Democrat in 1946, defeating incumbent Lyle Boren in the primary election, and served from January 3, 1947, to January 3, 1949. He considered running for re-election in 1948, but instead chose to run for the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

. After losing the Democratic nomination, he retired from Congress after serving only one term. After leaving Congress, Johnson continued to work in the field of law. He was the neutral arbitrator for the

National Mediation Board The National Mediation Board (NMB) is an independent agency of the United States government that coordinates labor-management relations within the U.S. railroads and airlines industries. History The board was established by the 1934 amendments to ...

in 1949 and 1950. He served as an attorney in the Office of the Solicitor for the

U.S. Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, from 1961 to 1967. He was the chairman of the Oil Import Appeals Board (representing the Department of the Interior) from 1967 to 1969. He served as the attorney in the Solicitor's Office, Department of the Interior, assigned to the

Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...

field office (from 1969 to 1972). He relocated back to Okemah, Oklahoma, where he remained until his death.

Death and personal life

Johnson died of congestive heart failure in Okemah, Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, on February 10, 1983. Johnson and his wife Imogene had a son, Glen D. Johnson Jr., who served as Oklahoma's youngest Speaker of the House, then served in higher education—for ten years as president of

Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southeastern, SE, or SOSU) is a public university in Durant, Oklahoma. It had an undergraduate enrollment of 4,824 in 2019. History On March 6, 1909, the Second Oklahoma State Legislature approved an a ...

, then as chancellor of Oklahoma's state system of higher education. His death was just three weeks after his son was sworn in as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

References

External links

Biography of Glen D. Johnson at Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Glen D. 1911 births 1983 deaths People from Izard County, Arkansas People from Okfuskee County, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni Oklahoma lawyers Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War II Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma People from Okemah, Oklahoma 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives

Early life

Career

Death and personal life

See also

References

External links