[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 20, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H8133-H8134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PAYING TRIBUTE TO JOHN HAROLD JOHNSON IN RECOGNITION OF HIS MANY
ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
General Leave
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my
Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to
one of the America's most outstanding citizens, the late Mr. John H.
Johnson, founder and chief executive officer of the Johnson Publishing
Company, who died August 8 of heart failure at the age of 87.
Mr. Johnson was recognized and renowned as an emblem of the American
dream, an embodiment of the civil rights movement, and a revolutionary
businessman.
Given the breadth and impressiveness of his contributions to American
society and to African American culture, the Congressional Black Caucus
Foundation will honor him later this week with its Phoenix Award.
He was perhaps best known for launching the twin publications Ebony
and Jet magazines. These sister magazines were started by Mr. Johnson
specifically to engage the African American community. He also
published numerous books, owned Fashion Fair Cosmetics and several
radio stations, as well as held a majority ownership stake in Supreme
Liberty Life Insurance Company. Mr. Johnson earned tremendous influence
and success in his lifetime, but by no means were any of his
accomplishments given to him.
He was born a child of meager means, but left this earth as one of
America's wealthiest businessmen. Mr. Johnson personified the idea that
hard work and determination can lead to success. He simply refused to
accept anything less.
Born January 19, 1918, in Arkansas City, Arkansas, Mr. Johnson was
raised by his widowed mother. She moved the two of them to Chicago in
1933 after saving her money over several years so that he could have
the chance to go to high school, as his own hometown offered no
education for blacks beyond primary grades.
After thriving in high school as the class president and student
council president, an honor student, and the newspaper and yearbook
editor, Mr. Johnson won a scholarship to the University of Chicago. He
took classes at night while working as an office boy at the Supreme
Liberty Life Insurance Company where he was in charge of compiling
stories about the black community and sending them to the president of
the company.
It was while working in this position that Mr. Johnson realized that
there were no magazines or publications specifically designed for
America's black population. This inspired him to create his own
magazine, the Negro Digest. Started in 1942, with only $500 from a loan
secured with the assistance of his mother, the magazine began to draw
followings when Mr. Johnson sent out letters asking for donations to
fund its publication. Three thousand people donated $2 each, and within
a year the magazine was selling 50,000 copies a month.
In November of 1945, Negro Digest evolved into Ebony, a magazine
modeled after Life magazine. Ebony focused on successes and
achievements within the black community. Today, this magazine reaches
about 42 percent of all African American adults, with a paid
circulation of about $1.7 million. Mr. Johnson also founded Jet,
another highly successful magazine aimed at the black community.
Mr. Johnson also sought to publish with a conscience. He published
the highly controversial photographs of the open casket of Emmett Till,
a 14-year-old Chicago boy who had been beaten to death by white men in
Mississippi. While the images were thoroughly disturbing, Mr. Johnson
felt that they simply needed to be published and seen by the public.
``I decided finally that if it happened, it was our responsibility to
print it and let the world experience man's inhumanity to man,'' he
said.
A philanthropist, Mr. Johnson donated to many worthy causes,
including a gift of $4 million to historically black Howard University
in Washington, D.C. The university would thank Mr. Johnson by later
renaming its school of communications in his honor.
{time} 2000
Although Mr. Johnson attended the University of Chicago and
Northwestern University, he never completed a degree. However, during
his lifetime he received honorary degrees from 31 schools, including
Harvard, Howard, and Northwestern universities.
In 1982, Mr. Johnson had the honor of being the first African
American to be included in Forbes Magazine's list of ``The 400 Richest
Americans.'' His 1989 autobiography ``Succeeding Against the Odds,''
was a national best-seller.
Indeed, Mr. Johnson's initial loan of $500 for his first magazine, he
would later grow and develop that initial investment into an empire
worth close to half a billion dollars.
We owe Mr. John H. Johnson a great debt of gratitude. His name may
not have been known to every household in America, but his 60-year-old
publications have had an important and unmistakable impact on American
history and culture. His legacy has touched countless African
Americans, including myself, and his inspiration and example will
continue to be felt for generations of blacks to come.
Both his wife, Miss Eunice Johnson, and daughter were his business
partners, and his daughter, Miss Linda Johnson Rice, has succeeded him
as chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson Publishing Company.
A great man, a great humanitarian.
Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to
acknowledge and celebrate the life and vast and phenomenal achievements
of John H. Johnson, the CEO, chairman, founder and publisher of the
Johnson Publishing Company Inc., in Chicago, Illinois.
[[Page H8134]]
Mr. Johnson rose from humble origins to become an icon in the
African-American community. It was his vision and creation that
launched Ebony and Jet magazines which became staples in black family
homes. His publications depicted positive and factual images of our
culture, accomplishments and social advances and plight. Through his
resourcefulness, tenacity and love for his people, he created a vehicle
for us to see images of ourselves and read articles that reflected our
human condition.
I have vivid memories of growing up and seeing Ebony and Jet in the
home of my parents and seeing pictures of my race and individual
struggles to secure civil rights for all African-Americans. Ultimately,
the efforts of Mr. Johnson resulted in the creation of a publication
that achieved a circulation of 1.7 million readers with a monthly
readership of 11 million persons.
Truly, John H. Johnson deserves all the accolades we heap upon him.
In an effort to highlight the diverse beauty amongst our people, John
Johnson produced the Ebony Fashion Fair; the world's largest traveling
fashion show. The efforts of John Johnson resulted in him being able to
employ over 2,600 people and sales in excess of $388 million.
The contributions of John Johnson were acknowledged and commended by
U.S. presidents. President Nixon brought John Johnson with him in 1957
on a tour of the continent of Africa where they visited nine countries.
In 1959 he accompanied President Nixon to Russia and Poland, and in
1961 he was appointed by President Kennedy to serve as the Ambassador
to the Independence Ceremonies of Ivory Coast. President Clinton
awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
I am pleased to acknowledge the contributions of John H. Johnson, a
publishing pioneer, entrepreneur, visionary and African-American icon.
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