Paul Burney Johnson Sr. (March 23, 1880December 26, 1943) was an American attorney, judge, and politician, serving as

United States Representative 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from Mississippi, 1919–1923, and as

Governor of Mississippi A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

, 1940–1943.

Early career

From 1907 to 1908 Johnson served as a judge of the city court of

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

. Two years later he became circuit judge of the 12th judicial district, with his tenure ending in 1919.

Congress

In 1918 Johnson was elected to the

U.S. 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

as 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 ...

, serving from 1919 to 1923. During this period, he developed a friendship with

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

, Assistant Secretary of Navy and future

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

, and his family. Their children played together. White, Theodore H. (1965), ''The Making of the President, 1964'', New York: Atheneum, p. 218 In

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

, Johnson won the race for

. He died in office in 1943. His son,

Paul B. Johnson Jr. Paul Burney Johnson Jr. (January 23, 1916October 14, 1985) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from Mississippi, serving as governor from 1964 until January 1968. He was a son of former Mississippi Governor Paul B. Johnson Sr. E ...

, was serving in the Marines in the Pacific during World War II at the time. More than 20 years later, he was elected as governor in 1964. His grandson, Pete Johnson, was elected

state Auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, state examiners, or inspectors general) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, financial ...

in 1988. Paul B. Johnson State Park, a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in Mississippi, is named after him.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Paul B. Sr. 1880 births 1943 deaths Mississippi state court judges Democratic Party governors of Mississippi People from Hattiesburg, Mississippi Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi 20th-century American judges People from Scott County, Mississippi 20th-century American politicians