Joseph Blaine Johnson (August 29, 1893 – October 25, 1986) was an
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 bi ...
who served as the
70th governor of Vermont
The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...
from 1955 to 1959.
Biography
Born in
Helsingborg
Helsingborg (, , , ) is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the cent ...
, Sweden, Johnson moved with his family from Sweden to
Springfield,
Windsor County, Vermont
Windsor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 57,753. The shire town (county seat) is the town of Woodstock. The county's largest municipality is the town of Hartford.
History
Wind ...
, in 1902 and became a
naturalized
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
U.S. citizen. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1915, became a mechanical engineer. Johnson was a
Congregationalist. He married Virginia F. Slack on September 23, 1919.
Career
Johnson worked at the
Bryant Chucking Grinder Company, starting as a draftsman and retiring as General Manager in 1949. He also served as vice president of the Springfield Cooperative Savings and Loan Association, director of the First National Bank of Springfield, and director of the Lovejoy Tool Company of Springfield.
Johnson was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1945 and served from 1945 to 1946. He was elected to the
Vermont Senate from Windsor County in 1947 and served until 1951. He then served two terms from 1951 to 1955 as the
65th lieutenant governor of Vermont
The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...
.
Receiving the
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 ...
nomination for governor, Johnson won the election and served from January 6, 1955 to January 6, 1959. During his administration, he sponsored legislation supporting increased financial support for the
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the Unite ...
. He also facilitated Vermont's inclusion in the federal interstate highway system. He was a Vermont delegate to the
1956 Republican National Convention
The 1956 Republican National Convention was held by the Republican Party of the United States at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, from August 20 to August 23, 1956. U.S. Senator William F. Knowland was temporary chairman and forme ...
. After serving two terms as governor, he retired from public life but remained director of the Lovejoy Tool Company.
Death
Johnson died on October 25, 1986, and is interred at Summerhill Cemetery, Springfield, Windsor County, Vermont.
See also
*
List of members of the American Legion
*
List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
References
External links
*
National Governors Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Joseph Blaine
Republican Party governors of Vermont
Republican Party Vermont state senators
Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives
20th-century American engineers
American Congregationalists
1893 births
1986 deaths
People from Helsingborg
Swedish emigrants to the United States
20th-century American politicians