Paul B. Johnson Sr.

Paul B. Johnson

Paul Burney Johnson, Sr. (born March 23, 1880 in Hillsboro , Scott County , Mississippi , † December 26, 1943 in Hattiesburg , Mississippi) was an American politician and governor of the state of Mississippi from 1940 to 1943 . Between 1919 and 1923 he represented his state in the US House of Representatives .

Early years and political advancement

Paul Johnson attended Harpersville College and then studied law at Millsaps College until 1903 . Then he began to work as a lawyer in Hattiesburg. In 1907 and 1908 he was a judge at the city court and from 1910 to 1919 he was a judge in the 12th legal district of his state. Johnson became a member of the Democratic Party . Between March 4, 1919 and March 3, 1923 he was a member of the US Congress for two terms . He turned down another candidacy in 1922. Then he worked again as a lawyer and in agriculture. In 1931 and 1935 he unsuccessfully applied for his party's nomination for the office of governor.

Mississippi Governor

In 1939 he managed to nominate his party as the top candidate for gubernatorial elections. That was tantamount to winning the election because the Democrats had been virtually unrivaled in Mississippi since 1876. Paul Johnson took up his new office on January 16, 1940. During his tenure, against massive opposition, free school books were made mandatory by law. At that time, some parts of the federal government's New Deal program were introduced at state level. Among other things, the pension system has been improved. The second part of Johnson's tenure was overshadowed by the events of World War II , in which the United States had participated since December 7, 1941, the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . Food and fuel were also rationed in Mississippi. Production was switched to armaments and young men were drafted for the military.

Governor Johnson became seriously ill during his tenure. The heated discussions about school books also affected his health. At Christmas 1943 his health deteriorated so quickly that the governor died on December 26th. His remaining term until January 1944 was served by Lieutenant Governor Dennis Murphree . Governor Paul Johnson was married to Corinne Venable, with whom he had four children, including their son Paul , who was also to become governor of Mississippi between 1964 and 1968.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Johnson, Paul B. Sr.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Johnson, Paul Burney Sr.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 23, 1880
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hillsboro , Mississippi
DATE OF DEATH	December 26, 1943
Place of death	Hattiesburg , Mississippi