R. K. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Robert Kirthwood "Lefty" Johnson (August 28, 1910- November 4, 1971), pioneer financial officer of Bob Jones University
, a private
, Protestant Fundamentalist
, liberal arts
university
located in Greenville
, South Carolina
.
, Johnson was orphaned at eight years of age and placed in the Odd Fellows
Home where he remained until he was nineteen. He worked in the automotive shop of the orphanage and eventually took charge of the equipment and purchased supplies for the home.
Arriving at Bob Jones College in 1931, Johnson became a student leader and was elected president of the senior class. Although a religion major, he became bookkeeper of the College while still a student and was named business manager the following year when he was 25. He remained in that position for the rest of his life, with virtually his only formal business training that provided by John Sephus Mack
, the president of G.C. Murphy stores, and Mack’s subordinates. In 1957, Johnson was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
Johnson discovered in Bob Jones, Sr.
a father figure whom he admired intensely, and his loyalty to Jones and the school he founded never wavered. Even in a business report Johnson was capable of writing, “I am thankful to God for letting me be a part of the greatest and most wonderful school in the world.”
Johnson’s business sense was legendary. He was hard driving, frugal, decisive, and shrewd. Johnson loved to bargain and could make such a convincing sales pitch to local businessmen that they might contribute the items he needed and make a cash contribution to the University besides. His “pay-as-you-go” policy played a significant role in allowing the unendowed BJU to survive the loss of its federal tax exemption in the 1980s. At the same time, Johnson seems to have enjoyed an unusually warm family life. Before his death of a heart attack in 1971, Johnson cobbled together a commemorative biography of Jones, which includes a chapter on the construction of the Greenville campus in which Johnson himself played a significant role.
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
, a private
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
, Protestant Fundamentalist
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
, liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in Greenville
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
Biography
Born in Lynchburg, VirginiaLynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, Johnson was orphaned at eight years of age and placed in the Odd Fellows
Odd Fellows
Odd Fellows is a name broadly referring to any of a large number of friendly societies, fraternal and service organizations and/or Lodges.-Societies using the name "Odd Fellows" or variations:...
Home where he remained until he was nineteen. He worked in the automotive shop of the orphanage and eventually took charge of the equipment and purchased supplies for the home.
Arriving at Bob Jones College in 1931, Johnson became a student leader and was elected president of the senior class. Although a religion major, he became bookkeeper of the College while still a student and was named business manager the following year when he was 25. He remained in that position for the rest of his life, with virtually his only formal business training that provided by John Sephus Mack
John Sephus Mack
John Sephus Mack , was president of the G. C. Murphy Company, a prominent variety-store chain during the early 20th century....
, the president of G.C. Murphy stores, and Mack’s subordinates. In 1957, Johnson was given an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
Johnson discovered in Bob Jones, Sr.
Bob Jones, Sr.
Robert Reynolds Jones, Sr. was an American evangelist, pioneer religious broadcaster and the founder and first president of Bob Jones University.-Early years:...
a father figure whom he admired intensely, and his loyalty to Jones and the school he founded never wavered. Even in a business report Johnson was capable of writing, “I am thankful to God for letting me be a part of the greatest and most wonderful school in the world.”
Johnson’s business sense was legendary. He was hard driving, frugal, decisive, and shrewd. Johnson loved to bargain and could make such a convincing sales pitch to local businessmen that they might contribute the items he needed and make a cash contribution to the University besides. His “pay-as-you-go” policy played a significant role in allowing the unendowed BJU to survive the loss of its federal tax exemption in the 1980s. At the same time, Johnson seems to have enjoyed an unusually warm family life. Before his death of a heart attack in 1971, Johnson cobbled together a commemorative biography of Jones, which includes a chapter on the construction of the Greenville campus in which Johnson himself played a significant role.