John Wesley Johnson (born 22 March 1836-September 14, 1898) was a famous figure in the early development of Oregon's higher education. He is probably best known today as the first
President
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*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
, serving from 1876 to 1893.
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Early years
In 1850, John Wesley Johnson and his family
immigrated from Missouri to the
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Ori ...
.
[Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.] Like many families who ventured West on the
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...
, the Johnsons experienced many hardships. Johnson's mother and sister both died on the journey. A mere 14-years-old, Johnson was tasked with driving the family's team of oxen along the 2,000-mile journey to their new home in
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis ( ) is a city and the county seat of Benton County in central western Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2020 United ...
.
While growing up in Missouri, Johnson had no formal education and first learned to read and write at the age of 10. As a 17-year-old, Johnson first began attending school in Corvallis and was said to have excelled academically. His reputation as a brilliant student and gifted teacher led him to serve as the first instructor and principal of Corvallis Academy in 1856. The academy, now known as
Oregon State University
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...
, was one of the first forms of public higher education offered in the state.
To further his career in higher education, Johnson applied to
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. However, the cost to attend the prestigious school was too expensive and he alone could not afford the cost. At 24-years-old he secured a loan to cover his tuition and set out by ship for the Eastern Seaboard.
[ The voyage took him South along the Pacific coast to ]Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
, where he boarded the newly constructed Isthmus of Panama Railroad. Upon reaching the Eastern shore, he voyaged North by ship to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.[ Johnson graduated sixth out of his class of 100 at Yale.][
ln 1862, Johnson returned to Oregon and served as a teacher and administrator at McMinnville College (now Linfield College) from 1863 to 1867. He was eventually promoted to president. He left Linfield College to work as principal of ]Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
High School and remained there for six years. In 1873, Johnson was hired by the University of Oregon (known then as Oregon State University) as a Latin professor. On July 26, 1876, the University of Oregon Board of Regents met (immediately upon the state land board's official acceptance of Deady Hall
University Hall, formerly Deady Hall, is a historic building located in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It was built from 1873 to 1876 by W. H. Abrams to a design by architect William W. Piper. It was the University of Oregon's first building, and ...
) and elected Johnson the school's first president. Thomas Condon
Thomas Condon (1822–1907) was an Irish Congregational minister, geologist, and paleontologist who gained recognition for his work in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Life and career
Condon arrived in New York City from Ireland in 1833 and graduated ...
, Mary Spiller and Mark Bailey were also elected to the faculty that day.
University of Oregon
During his tenure
Tenure is a category of academic appointment existing in some countries. A tenured post is an indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances, such as financial exigency or program disco ...
at the University of Oregon, Johnson taught Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
. He served not only as president, but as registrar
A registrar is an official keeper of records made in a register. The term may refer to:
Education
* Registrar (education), an official in an academic institution who handles student records
* Registrar of the University of Oxford, one of the se ...
, business officer, provost, dean of students
Dean is a title employed in academic administrations such as colleges or universities for a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, over a specific area of concern, or both. In the United States and Canada, deans are usua ...
and secretary. His 17 years as president helped foster great expansion at the Eugene school, including the construction of Villard Hall
Villard Hall is a historic building located in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1886, it is the second-oldest building on the University of Oregon campus after University Hall. The Second Empire-style building was listed on National Re ...
in 1886 and the dormitory (now Friendly Hall
Friendly Hall, built in 1893, is a three-story, red-brick masonry building located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon, United States.
Description
Friendly Hall overlooks the old campus quad, which dates to the founding of the un ...
) in 1893. Throughout his tenure, he was a statewide advocate of the university, attempting to overcome many Oregonians' objections to higher education.
Legacy
In 1918, the Administration Building (completed in 1915) was renamed Johnson Hall
Johnson Hall State Historic Site was the home of Sir William Johnson (1715–1774) an Irish pioneer who became the influential British Indian Department, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Province of New York, known for his strong relation ...
in honor of John Wesley Johnson. In 1985, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
References
External links
Official History Site
- at the University of Oregon President's Office
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, John Wesley
Yale University alumni
Presidents of the University of Oregon
Linfield University people
Oregon pioneers
1898 deaths
1836 births