Summary |
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| Creator: | Johnson, John L. |
| Title: | John L. Johnson Papers |
| Dates: | 1964-1969 |
| Size: | 2 boxes (1.5 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | The John L. Johnson Papers consist of correspondence, conference and consultation records, and material from his career at Syracuse University. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives |
| Sponsor: | The processing of this collection was made possible through the generosity of Marion W. Meyer G'55. |
Biography
As an academic and an administrator, Dr. John L. Johnson was able to foster ways of teaching students with special needs and ways of thinking about social equality. He contributed greatly to the social conscience of Syracuse University and was always guided by a strong sense of compassion and equality.
Johnson was born in 1933 in Detroit, Michigan. He received a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Wayne State University in Special Education and Education Psychology respectively, and subsequently found work as a teacher, consultant, and research associate in the area. While working in the field, Johnson also attended Michigan State University and earned a Doctorate of Education in 1965.
Due to his background in teaching and teacher training, Syracuse University hired Dr. Johnson in 1966 as an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Division of Special Education. During this time, he continued to consult and train teachers on local and national levels; administrators would invite Johnson to come to their schools to evaluate their methods of teaching students with specials needs. His skill and effectiveness in this role was recognized by many in the field, and in 1967, he was asked to serve on a consultation panel for the United State Office of Education.
While his work and contributions to the field of special education were significant in a practical way, Johnson’s diverse roles benefitted the University as a whole in much broader ways. He was a skilled professor, but the administrative positions he filled reflected his personal interests as well. Johnson was a vocal presence in the department and the community with regards to civil rights, social inequalities, and institutional racism. When nine African American football players were reprimanded for boycotting practice in 1970, citing racial discrimination, Johnson served on the committee investigating the incident. He coordinated the Croton-on-Campus program, which brought local school children from inner city schools to classrooms on campus to provide learning opportunities they would otherwise not have. Johnson was appointed Assistant Provost for Minority Group Affairs in 1969, a position that allowed him to help develop the University’s policies on issues relating to minority groups. Additionally, Johnson was the first director of the African American Studies program, which was organized as both an academic subject and a tool for social change. His administrative roles were ultimately the intersection of his personal and professional passions.
Johnson resigned from Syracuse University in 1971 to become the associate superintendent of schools for specialized education in Washington, D.C. Throughout the rest of his life, Dr. John L. Johnson continued to balance his role as an educator and an activist and remained committed to finding solutions to problems of inequality.
Scope and Content Note
The John L. Johnson Papers contain items from his various professional roles during the 1960’s. A large part of the collection consists of correspondence, organized into general topics and specific subjects. There is material from consultations at various schools that Johnson conducted at this time, records of his trips, datebooks, conference and fellowship information, and items from the United States Office of Education Consultation Panel. These papers also include information concerning the establishment and management of the Croton-on-Campus program and a special education teacher training institute. Additionally, there are articles and reports documenting the legacy of the Syracuse 8 Football Boycott.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries and all relevant rights holders
before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this
collection.
Related Material
The Archives holds a clipping file and a portrait file for John L. Johnson. There are related articles in the African American Studies clipping file and the School of Education Croton-on-Campus clipping file as well.
Selected Search Terms
Names
Subjects
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
John L. Johnson Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
These papers were given to the Archives in October 1969 by Dr. Johnson. In June 2011, he donated more material to the collection.
Processing Information
Damaging materials, such as staples and paperclips, were removed. Original newspaper clippings were photocopied. The papers were organized and original folders were replaced with archival folders.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: Mary Skaden
Date: 2013
Revision history:
Arrangement
The items are arranged in alphabetical order, with their contents ordered chronologically.