Robert H. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Robert H. Johnson was a newspaper
man, attorney
, and, from 1967 to 1978, a Democratic
state senator from Rock Springs
, Wyoming
.
, Colorado
, to Henry Johnson and the former Samantha Haines. In 1934, he graduated from high school in Cheyenne
, Wyoming. Four years later, he graduated from the University of Wyoming
at Laramie
, where he was the president of the Blue Pencil journalism honorary society and campus correspondent for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
, then known as the State Tribune of Cheyenne. He was also a member of the varsity wrestling team and an intramural boxing champion.
In 1941, Johnson began five years of service in United States Army Air Corps
during World War II
as a bomber pilot and second lieutenant
. In 1944, he was sent to England
with the 466th Bombardment Group for combat duty with the 8th Air Force. His first flight in combat was as a deputy group leader of an attack on Berlin, Germany
. Johnson flew thirty combat missions over Europe, including special assignments for support of the French Resistance
forces against the Nazis. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross
. Upon release from active duty in 1946, he was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs
. He retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel
.
Upon graduation from UW in 1938, Johnson became state editor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and thereafter part owner and editor of the Northern Wyoming Daily News in Worland
in Washakie County. In 1948, he relocated to Rock Springs, where for more than a decade he was managing editor and subsequently general manager of the Rock Springs Daily Rocket-Miner
.
On July 11, 1949, in Rock Springs, Johnson wed the former Helen Marie Hamm, who died in 2005. The couple had three children.
industry. In 1972, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
in Miami Beach
, Florida
, which nominated the U.S. Senator George S. McGovern of South Dakota
for the U.S. presidency. He was an alternate delegate to several other Democratic conventions.
During his newspaper years, Levi served on the board of directors and president of the Wyoming Press Association. He was also the chairman of the Sweetwater County Library Board in Rock Springs. He was affiliated with the American Legion
, the University of Wyoming Alumni Association, Alpha Tau Omega
fraternity, and the bar association. He served on the board of the Western Wyoming Community College
Foundation in Rock Springs.
Johnson died in Rock Springs at the age of ninety-four. Survivors included a son, Glen R. Johnson, and a daughter, Leslie Ellen Johnson, and a grandson. Another daughter, Susan M. Johnson, died in 1999. He was a member of the Congregational Church
.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
man, attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and, from 1967 to 1978, a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
state senator from Rock Springs
Rock Springs, Wyoming
Rock Springs is a city in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 18,708 at the 2000 census. Rock Springs is the principal city of the Rock Springs micropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 37,975....
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.
Early years, military, journalism
Johnson was born in DenverDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, to Henry Johnson and the former Samantha Haines. In 1934, he graduated from high school in Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, Wyoming. Four years later, he graduated from the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
at Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
, where he was the president of the Blue Pencil journalism honorary society and campus correspondent for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle is a daily newspaper published in Cheyenne and distributed primarily in Laramie County, Wyoming. It is the state's second largest newspaper in terms of circulation, behind the Casper Star Tribune. The Tribune Eagle is also one of several newspapers serving the Front Range...
, then known as the State Tribune of Cheyenne. He was also a member of the varsity wrestling team and an intramural boxing champion.
In 1941, Johnson began five years of service in United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a bomber pilot and second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. In 1944, he was sent to England
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
with the 466th Bombardment Group for combat duty with the 8th Air Force. His first flight in combat was as a deputy group leader of an attack on Berlin, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Johnson flew thirty combat missions over Europe, including special assignments for support of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
forces against the Nazis. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a medal awarded to any officer or enlisted member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself in support of operations by "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight, subsequent to November 11, 1918." The...
. Upon release from active duty in 1946, he was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
. He retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
Upon graduation from UW in 1938, Johnson became state editor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and thereafter part owner and editor of the Northern Wyoming Daily News in Worland
Worland, Wyoming
Worland is a city in Washakie County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,250 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washakie County. The City of Worland is served by the Worland Municipal Airport.-Geography:...
in Washakie County. In 1948, he relocated to Rock Springs, where for more than a decade he was managing editor and subsequently general manager of the Rock Springs Daily Rocket-Miner
Rock Springs Daily Rocket-Miner
The Rock Springs Rocket-Miner is the daily newspaper of Rock Springs and Sweetwater County in southwestern Wyoming. Published Tuesday-Saturday, the newspaper had previous names until 1965, when it adapted the current Daily Rocket-Miner.The paper expanded to a two-story building in 1974. It is...
.
On July 11, 1949, in Rock Springs, Johnson wed the former Helen Marie Hamm, who died in 2005. The couple had three children.
Law, politics, civic leadership
In 1161, at the age of forty-five, he left the newspaper business to attend Harvard law school at the University of Wyoming. He returned to Rock Springs, a heavily Democratic community, to practice law from 1963 until retiring in 1996. His state Senate service spanned three four-year terms, including two years as the Democratic floor leader and two others as the chairman of the Senate Labor Committee. He also chaired a special committee to rewrite the Wyoming education code. He was the Chairman floor leader for House Bill 208, which expanded the tronaTrona
Trona ; Na3•2H2O is an evaporite mineral. It is mined as the primary source of sodium carbonate in the United States, where it has replaced the Solvay process used in most of the rest of the world for sodium carbonate production.- Etymology :The word "trona" comes to English by way of either...
industry. In 1972, he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
1972 Democratic National Convention
The 1972 Democratic National Convention was the presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party for the 1972 presidential election. It was held at Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida on July 10–13, 1972....
in Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, which nominated the U.S. Senator George S. McGovern of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
for the U.S. presidency. He was an alternate delegate to several other Democratic conventions.
During his newspaper years, Levi served on the board of directors and president of the Wyoming Press Association. He was also the chairman of the Sweetwater County Library Board in Rock Springs. He was affiliated with the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, the University of Wyoming Alumni Association, Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
fraternity, and the bar association. He served on the board of the Western Wyoming Community College
Western Wyoming Community College
Western Wyoming Community College is a two year college located in Rock Springs, Wyoming. WWCC offers various one year certificates, numerous two year associate degrees, and some four year degrees in cooperation with the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming...
Foundation in Rock Springs.
Johnson died in Rock Springs at the age of ninety-four. Survivors included a son, Glen R. Johnson, and a daughter, Leslie Ellen Johnson, and a grandson. Another daughter, Susan M. Johnson, died in 1999. He was a member of the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
.