Walter Walford Johnson
Encyclopedia
Walter Walford Johnson was a United States
businessman and Democratic
politician
who served as the 32nd Governor of the State of Colorado from 1950 to 1951.
Walter Walford Johnson was born in Pueblo, Colorado
on 1904-04-16. He married Neva Morrow in 1922. The couple had two children, Winnifred and Walford. Johnson developed real estate and insurance businesses in Pueblo.
In 1940, Johnson was elected to the Colorado State Senate. In 1948, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. In April 1950, Colorado Governor William Lee Knous
resigned to become a federal district judge in Denver. Johnson succeeded Knous as governor and completed the remaining nine months of Knous' term. Johnson ran unsuccessfully against Republican
Dan Thornton
for a full gubernatorial term in 1950.
In 1970, Johnson retired to Tempe
, Arizona
. He died there after a brief illness on March 23, 1987, at the age of eighty two and is buried at Pueblo.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and 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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as the 32nd Governor of the State of Colorado from 1950 to 1951.
Walter Walford Johnson was born in Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
on 1904-04-16. He married Neva Morrow in 1922. The couple had two children, Winnifred and Walford. Johnson developed real estate and insurance businesses in Pueblo.
In 1940, Johnson was elected to the Colorado State Senate. In 1948, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. In April 1950, Colorado Governor William Lee Knous
William Lee Knous
William Lee Knous was a Colorado Democratic state legislator, state Supreme Court justice and the 31st Governor of Colorado, and a U.S. district judge....
resigned to become a federal district judge in Denver. Johnson succeeded Knous as governor and completed the remaining nine months of Knous' term. Johnson ran unsuccessfully against Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Dan Thornton
Daniel I.J. Thornton
Daniel I.J. Thornton was a United States cattle breeder and Republican politician who served as the 33rd Governor of the State of Colorado from 1951 to 1955....
for a full gubernatorial term in 1950.
In 1970, Johnson retired to Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. He died there after a brief illness on March 23, 1987, at the age of eighty two and is buried at Pueblo.
See also
- History of ColoradoHistory of ColoradoThe human history of Colorado extends back more than 13,000 years. The region that is today the state of Colorado was first inhabited by Native Americans...
- Law and government of ColoradoLaw and Government of ColoradoThe Constitution of the State of Colorado provides for three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches.-Sovereignty of the people:...
- List of Governors of Colorado
- State of Colorado
Further reading
- Abbott, Carl; Leonard, Stephen; and McComb, David. Colorado. Colorado Associated University Press, Boulder Colorado, 1982.
- Athearn, Robert G. The Coloradans. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1976.
- Newspaper Files of Walter W. Johnson. Denver Public Library Western History Collection.
- Ubbelohde, Carl, Benson, Maxine, and Smith, Duane. Colorado History. Boulder, CO., Pruett Publishing Co., 1972.
- Obituary, Rocky Mountain News, March 25, 1987, p. 147 and biographical article, June 25, 1955, p. 28.