Charles Montgomery "Gummie" Johnson (June 6, 1923 – May 21, 2005) was an American

publicist A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...

and political consultant who was active in

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 ...

party politics in

Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

for nearly 30 years.

Early life and education

Johnson was born in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

to a family of outdoor enthusiasts. He received his undergraduate and graduate education at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

, earning a master's degree in

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

in 1950. His graduate thesis was on the use of education to prevent forest fires. While at the UW he was elected president of the

Associated Students of the University of Washington The Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) is the Student Government at the University of Washington. It is funded and supported by student fees, and it provides services that directly and indirectly benefit student life. The ...

. In 1948 Johnson married his first wife, Bette Maples, with whom he had four children.

Career

Public relations

In 1951, Johnson was hired as the first public relations director for the Washington Education Association, Washington's teacher's union. He was subsequently retained to work as PR head for

Weyerhauser Weyerhaeuser () is an American timberland company which owns nearly of timberlands in the U.S., and manages an additional of timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. The company also manufactures wood products. It operates as a real e ...

Republican party

In 1963, Johnson was selected to serve as chairman of the campaign committee for Dan Evans' gubernatorial race. The election of Evans, who at 39 became Washington's youngest governor, placed Johnson at the center of Washington political life. The following year he was elected the first full-time chairman of the

Washington State Republican Party The Washington State Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national United States Republican Party, headquartered in Bellevue. History Campaigns and elections Washington voters tend to support Democratic Party candidates, with ''The ...

, a post he held for the next seven years, during which he led a purge of

John Birch Society The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, or libertarian ide ...

members from Republican ranks and served as an executive member of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. Political action committee, political committee that assists the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republi ...

. Johnson was an outspoken

pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pr ...

advocate and promoter of Native American issues.

Private business

Stepping down from chairmanship of the Republican party, Johnson formed a political consulting firm with his second wife, Ann Quantock, a Democratic lobbyist. One of the Olympia-based C. Montgomery Johnson Associates' first clients was the Washington Association of Community Colleges, the first of several public sector education clients that would retain his firm. Among his firm's other clients were the Yakima Nation, and Democratic governor

Dixy Lee Ray Dixy Lee Ray (September 3, 1914 – January 2, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 17th governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981. Variously described as idiosyncratic and "ridiculously smart," she was the state's first female gover ...

, whose 1976 and 1980 campaigns he managed.

Personal life and legacy

A heavy cigar smoker, Johnson was known as an opinionated character with sometimes profane mannerisms. Johnson drafted an unpublished book, ''What Shall I Tell My People About Politics?'' which he described as a "real-life handbook for precinct committeemen."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Montgomery 1923 births 2005 deaths Washington (state) Republicans State political party chairs of Washington (state) University of Washington College of the Environment alumni Politicians from Seattle