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John Albert Johnson (July 28, 1861September 21, 1909) was an
John Albert Johnson was born on a farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, on July 28, 1861. The eldest child of an impoverished Swedish family abandoned by an alcoholic father, he left school at 13 to support his mother and siblings. Local Democrats, impressed with the enterprising young store clerk, asked him to join their party and edit the strongly Democratic ''St. Peter Herald''. His journalistic success attracted statewide attention and fostered political aspirations.
Johnson married Elinor M. Preston on June 1, 1894.
Johnson failed in early campaigns for state office from his heavily Republican home county but was elected to the state senate in 1898, indicating his growing bipartisan appeal. Elected governor three times—in 1904, 1906, and 1908—Johnson's ability to reason and work with legislators of both parties resulted in such reform legislation as reorganization of the state's insurance department to the benefit of policyholders, reduction of railroad passenger and freight rates, and removal of constitutional restraints on the legislature's power to tax.
Johnson began his third term with reservations. His health was precarious, and he wanted to pursue a promising sideline as a public orator. When he died suddenly at age 48 after surgery at the
Johnson was the first of three governors to die in office. Governor
Minnesota Legislators Past and PresentJohn Albert Johnson photos
at the Minnesota Historical Society.
Biographical information
and hi
gubernatorial records
are available for research use at th
Minnesota Historical Society.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, John Albert 1861 births 1909 deaths People from St. Peter, Minnesota Democratic Party governors of Minnesota Democratic Party Minnesota state senators American Presbyterians American people of Swedish descent Candidates in the 1908 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians
American politician
The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...
. He served in the Minnesota State Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...
from January 1897 to January 1901. He was the 16th
16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and .
In English speech, ...
governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...
from January 4, 1905, until his death on September 21, 1909. He was a Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
Johnson was the first Minnesota governor born in Minnesota. He was only the second non-Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
governor in the previous 50 years and the third since statehood. He was also first to serve a full term in the present state capitol, and the first to die in office. Johnson sought the 1908 Democratic presidential nomination but lost to William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...
.
Biography
John Albert Johnson was born on a farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, on July 28, 1861. The eldest child of an impoverished Swedish family abandoned by an alcoholic father, he left school at 13 to support his mother and siblings. Local Democrats, impressed with the enterprising young store clerk, asked him to join their party and edit the strongly Democratic ''St. Peter Herald''. His journalistic success attracted statewide attention and fostered political aspirations.
Johnson married Elinor M. Preston on June 1, 1894.
Johnson failed in early campaigns for state office from his heavily Republican home county but was elected to the state senate in 1898, indicating his growing bipartisan appeal. Elected governor three times—in 1904, 1906, and 1908—Johnson's ability to reason and work with legislators of both parties resulted in such reform legislation as reorganization of the state's insurance department to the benefit of policyholders, reduction of railroad passenger and freight rates, and removal of constitutional restraints on the legislature's power to tax.
Johnson began his third term with reservations. His health was precarious, and he wanted to pursue a promising sideline as a public orator. When he died suddenly at age 48 after surgery at the Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...
, the state's citizens were grief-stricken.
Legacy
Johnson was the first of three governors to die in office. Governor Winfield Scott Hammond
Winfield Scott Hammond (November 17, 1863December 30, 1915) was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
Biography
Hammond was born in 1863 in Southborough, Massachusetts, the son of Ellen P. (Panton) and John Washington ...
was the second, after suffering a stroke in 1915. Floyd B. Olson
Floyd Bjørnstjerne "Skipper" Olson (November 13, 1891 – August 22, 1936) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 22nd Governor of Minnesota from January 6, 1931, to August 22, 1936, dying in office of stomach cancer. Olson wa ...
was the third and most recent, dying of cancer in 1936.
Statues of Johnson are on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol
The Minnesota State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Minnesota, in its capital city of Saint Paul. It houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the office of the Attorney General and the office o ...
and the grounds of the Nicollet County Courthouse. Johnson Senior High School in St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
is named for him, as is the portion of U.S. Route 169
U.S. Route 169 (US 169) is a north-south U.S highway that currently runs for 966 miles (1,555 km) from the city of Virginia, Minnesota to Tulsa, Oklahoma at Memorial Drive.
Route description
Oklahoma
US 169 is a major north–south ...
from Saint Peter to the Twin Cities.
The John A. Johnson School in Virginia, Minnesota
Virginia is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mesabi Iron Range. With an economy heavily reliant on large-scale iron ore mining, Virginia is considered the Mesabi Range's commercial center. The population was 8,423 ...
was built in 1907.
References
External links
*Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
at the Minnesota Historical Society.
Biographical information
and hi
gubernatorial records
are available for research use at th
Minnesota Historical Society.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, John Albert 1861 births 1909 deaths People from St. Peter, Minnesota Democratic Party governors of Minnesota Democratic Party Minnesota state senators American Presbyterians American people of Swedish descent Candidates in the 1908 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians