Paul B. Johnson Sr.

Paul Burney Johnson Sr. (March 23, 1880 – December 26, 1943) was an American attorney, judge, and politician, serving as United States Representative from Mississippi, 1919–1923, and as Governor of Mississippi, 1940–1943.

Paul B. Johnson Sr.
46th Governor of Mississippi
In office
January 16, 1940 – December 26, 1943
LieutenantDennis Murphree
Preceded byHugh L. White
Succeeded byDennis Murphree
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's 6th district
In office
March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1923
Preceded byPat Harrison
Succeeded byT. Webber Wilson
Personal details
Born
Paul Burney Johnson 

(1880-03-23)March 23, 1880
Hillsboro, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedDecember 26, 1943(1943-12-26) (aged 63)
Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCorinne Venable
ProfessionLawyer

Early career

From 1907 to 1908 Johnson served as a judge of the city court of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. 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 as a Democrat, serving from 1919 to 1923. During this period, he developed a friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of Navy and future President of the United States, and his family. Their children played together.[1]

In 1939, Johnson won the race for Governor of Mississippi. He died in office in 1943. His son, Paul B. Johnson Jr., 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 in 1988.

Paul B. Johnson State Park, a state park in Mississippi, is named after him.

References
  1. White, Theodore H. (1965), The Making of the President, 1964, New York: Atheneum, p. 218
  • Paul Burney Johnson, Sr at Find a Grave
  • "Paul B. Johnson, Sr". Notable Names Database. Retrieved September 24, 2008.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.