Joseph B. Johnson

Joseph B. Johnson
70th Governor of Vermont
In office January 6, 1955 – January 8, 1959
Lieutenant	Consuelo N. Bailey Robert T. Stafford
Preceded by	Lee E. Emerson
Succeeded by	Robert T. Stafford
65th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office January 4, 1951 – January 6, 1955
Governor	Lee E. Emerson
Preceded by	Harold J. Arthur
Succeeded by	Consuelo N. Bailey
Member of the Vermont Senate from Windsor County
In office 1947–1951 Serving with Guy H. Cleveland, Allen M. Fletcher Jr.
Preceded by	Guy H. Cleveland, Allen M. Fletcher Jr., Richard Parker
Succeeded by	Frank Corliss, Susan Drown, Henry D. Vail
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Springfield
In office 1945–1947
Preceded by	Collins Stearns
Succeeded by	Charles N. Stafford
Personal details
Born	(1893-08-29)August 29, 1893 Helsingborg, Sweden
Died	October 25, 1986(1986-10-25) (aged 93) Springfield, Vermont, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Virginia Frances Slack ​ ​ (m. 1919; died 1983)​
Children	1
Alma mater	University of Vermont

Joseph Blaine Johnson (August 29, 1893 – October 25, 1986) was an American politician who served as the 70th governor of Vermont from 1955 to 1959.

Biography

Born in Helsingborg, Sweden, Johnson moved with his family from Sweden to Springfield, Vermont, in 1902 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1915 and 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.

Receiving the Republican 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. He also facilitated Vermont's inclusion in the federal interstate highway system. He was a Vermont delegate to the 1956 Republican National Convention. 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

External links

• Joseph B. Johnson at Find a Grave
• National Governors Association
• The Political Graveyard