Eunice Walker Johnson
Encyclopedia
Eunice Walker Johnson was the wife of publisher John H. Johnson
and an executive at Johnson Publishing Company. Johnson was best-known as the founder and director of the Ebony Fashion Fair, which was started in the 1950s as a hospital fundraiser and became an annual fashion tour that highlighted fashion for African-American women that ran until a year before hear death.
Born Eunice Walker on April 4, 1916, in Selma, Alabama
, she graduated with a degree in sociology from Talladega College
in 1938. She met her future husband, John H. Johnson, in 1940 while she was attending Loyola University Chicago
and was married after she earned her master's degree the following year.
Together with her husband, she established The Negro Digest
in 1942, a magazine styled after Reader's Digest
. The rapid growth of their first publication encouraged them to create Ebony
, a monthly designed to emulate Life
and its style of boldly-photographed front covers. Johnson had been the one who suggested that the magazine be named for the dark wood. By the time of her death, Ebony reached a readership of 1.25 million, while its weekly companion Jet
reached a circulation of 900,000.
The Ebony Fashion Tour began as a fundraiser that she created in 1958 for a hospital in New Orleans. In its half century of existence, the tour visited 200 cities across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, raising over $50 million for charity. The fashion tour was a pioneer in using African-American models on the runway and helped highlight the works of African-American designers. Building on her difficulties in finding cosmetics suited to the skin tones of her models, Johnson created Fashion Fair Cosmetics in 1973 as a line of makeup that would be sold in leading department stores.
Johnson died of renal failure
January 3, 2010, at the age of 93 at her home in Chicago
. She was survived by Linda Johnson Rice, chairwoman and chief executive of Johnson Publishing
, as well as by a granddaughter.
John H. Johnson
John Harold Johnson was an American businessman and publisher. He was the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company. In 1982 he became the first African-American to appear on the Forbes 400.ÀčĐċĎ- Biography :...
and an executive at Johnson Publishing Company. Johnson was best-known as the founder and director of the Ebony Fashion Fair, which was started in the 1950s as a hospital fundraiser and became an annual fashion tour that highlighted fashion for African-American women that ran until a year before hear death.
Born Eunice Walker on April 4, 1916, in Selma, Alabama
Selma, Alabama
Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Alabama, United States, located on the banks of the Alabama River. The population was 20,512 at the 2000 census....
, she graduated with a degree in sociology from Talladega College
Talladega College
- External Links :* -- Official web site*...
in 1938. She met her future husband, John H. Johnson, in 1940 while she was attending Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
and was married after she earned her master's degree the following year.
Together with her husband, she established The Negro Digest
The Negro Digest
The Negro Digest was a popular African American magazine founded in November 1942 by John H. Johnson. It was first presented locally in Chicago, Illinois. The Negro Digest was quite similar to the Reader's Digest; however, it was aimed to target positive influences in the African American...
in 1942, a magazine styled after Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
. The rapid growth of their first publication encouraged them to create Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
, a monthly designed to emulate Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
and its style of boldly-photographed front covers. Johnson had been the one who suggested that the magazine be named for the dark wood. By the time of her death, Ebony reached a readership of 1.25 million, while its weekly companion Jet
Jet (magazine)
Jet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois...
reached a circulation of 900,000.
The Ebony Fashion Tour began as a fundraiser that she created in 1958 for a hospital in New Orleans. In its half century of existence, the tour visited 200 cities across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, raising over $50 million for charity. The fashion tour was a pioneer in using African-American models on the runway and helped highlight the works of African-American designers. Building on her difficulties in finding cosmetics suited to the skin tones of her models, Johnson created Fashion Fair Cosmetics in 1973 as a line of makeup that would be sold in leading department stores.
Johnson died of renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
January 3, 2010, at the age of 93 at her home in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. She was survived by Linda Johnson Rice, chairwoman and chief executive of Johnson Publishing
Johnson Publishing
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publishing company founded in November 1942 by John H. Johnson, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, The company is privately held, and its chief executive officer is Desiree Rogers.-Background:...
, as well as by a granddaughter.