Keen Johnson (January 12, 1896February 7, 1970) was an American politician who served as the 45th

Governor of Kentucky The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government of Kentucky. Sixty-two men and one woman have served as governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-e ...

, serving from 1939 to 1943; being the only journalist to have held that office.Odgen, p. 178 After serving in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, Johnson purchased and edited the ''Elizabethtown Mirror'' newspaper. He revived the struggling paper, sold it to a competitor and used the profits to obtain his journalism degree from the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...

in 1922. After graduation, he became editor of '' The Anderson News'', and in 1925, he accepted an offer to co-publish and edit the '' Richmond Daily Register''. In 1935, Johnson was chosen as the Democratic nominee for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

. He was elected and served under Governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler from 1935 to 1939. He had already secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1939 when Chandler resigned and elevated Johnson to governor so that Johnson could appoint Chandler to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of

M. M. Logan Marvel Mills Logan (January 7, 1874October 3, 1939) was an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and the Attorney General of Kentucky. Early life and education Logan was born on a far ...

. He went on to win a full gubernatorial term in the general election, defeating

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

King Swope King Swope (August 10, 1893 – April 23, 1961) was an American attorney and politician who served as a U.S. representative from Kentucky. Biography Born in Danville, Kentucky, he attended the common schools and graduated from Danville's Cen ...

. Johnson's desire to expand the state's social services was hampered by the financial strain imposed on the state by the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Nevertheless, he ran a fiscally conservative administration and took the state from being $7 million in debt to having a surplus of $10 million by the end of his term. Following his term as governor, Johnson joined

Reynolds Metals Reynolds Group Holdings is a New Zealand based packaging company with roots in the former Reynolds Metals Company, which was the second-largest aluminum company in the United States, and the third-largest in the world. Reynolds Metals was acquire ...

as a special assistant to the president. He continued his employment with Reynolds until 1961. He took a year-long

leave of absence The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they are ...

in 1946 to accept President Harry S. Truman's appointment as the first U.S. Undersecretary of Labor, serving under Lewis B. Schwellenbach. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1960, losing to incumbent Republican

John Sherman Cooper John Sherman Cooper (August 23, 1901 – February 21, 1991) was an American politician, jurist, and diplomat from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He served three non-consecutive, partial terms in the United States Senate before being elect ...

. He died February 7, 1970, and was buried in Richmond Cemetery in Richmond, Kentucky.

Early life

Keen Johnson was born in a two-room cabin at Brandon's Chapel in

Lyon County, Kentucky Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,680. Its county seat is Eddyville. The county was formed from Caldwell County, Kentucky in 1854 and named for former Congressman Chitt ...

, on January 12, 1896.Powell, p. 96 He was the only son of Reverend Robert and Mattie (Holloway) Johnson.Harrison in ''The Kentucky Encyclopedia'', p. 474 His parents named him in honor of John S. Keen, a family friend from Adair County.Odgen, p. 177 The Johnsons also had two daughters—Catherine (Keturah) and Christine.Hay, "Guide to the Collection of Keen Johnson" Robert Johnson was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

minister, and the family moved often as a result of his occupation. After completing his elementary education in the public schools, Johnson attended Vanderbilt Preparatory School for Boys, a Methodist institution in Elkton, Kentucky."Kentucky Governor Keen Johnson". National Governors Association He finished his preparatory coursework in 1914 and matriculated to Central Methodist College in

Fayette, Missouri Fayette is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 2,803 at the 2020 census. History Fayette was laid out in 1823. Th ...

. He had intended to continue his studies at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

School of Journalism, but he interrupted his studies to enlist in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

for service in World War I. After

basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

, Johnson entered

officer training A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Ge ...

on May 15, 1917. In August 1917, he was appointed

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

and assigned to the 354th Infantry, 89th Division of the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...

Camp Funston Camp Funston is a U.S. Army training camp located on Fort Riley, southwest of Manhattan, Kansas. The camp was named for Brigadier General Frederick Funston (1865–1917). It is one of sixteen such camps established at the outbreak of World ...

. He was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

on March 29, 1918, and on June 4, 1918, he was deployed to France, where he studied logistical communications at the Army School of the Line and Staff College. He remained in Europe with the American Expeditionary Force until April 1919 and was

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...

from the Army on October 31, 1919. On June 23, 1917, while still completing his military training, Johnson married Eunice Nichols. Their only child, a daughter named Judith, was born May 19, 1927. Upon his return from military service, Johnson purchased the '' Elizabethtown Mirror'' with financial assistance from his father. He built the struggling paper almost from the ground up, and a competitor soon bought him out for a profit. Johnson used the profit from the sale of the ''Mirror'' to continue his education at the

. While a student, he worked as a reporter for the ''

Lexington Herald The ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' is a newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and based in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the ''1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook'', the paid circulation of the ''Herald-Leader'' is the second large ...

''. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 1922. The university awarded him an honorary

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...

degree in 1940. After graduation, Johnson purchased half-ownership of '' The Anderson News'' and served as the paper's editor and publisher. In 1925, Shelton M. Saufley asked Johnson to enter into a joint venture to purchase the '' Richmond Daily Register''. Lured by the idea of publishing a daily paper, Johnson accepted. As a result of one of his editorials, Johnson was named executive secretary of the State Democratic Central Committee in 1932. He continued to hold this position and publish the ''Register'' through 1939.

Political career

In 1935, Johnson was one of three contenders for the Democratic nomination for

. In the

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works ...

, he received more votes than his opponents, J. E. Wise and B. F. Wright, but a newly enacted election law required a

runoff Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to: * RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program * Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed * Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...

if no candidate received a

majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-WebsterA. B. "Happy" Chandler defeated Tom Rhea, the candidate favored by sitting governor

Ruby Laffoon Ruby Laffoon (January 15, 1869March 1, 1941) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Kentucky from 1931 to 1935. A Kentucky native, at age 17 Laffoon moved to Washington, D.C., to live with his uncle, U.S. R ...

.Klotter, p. 304 Johnson had also favored Rhea, and had backed Robert T. Crowe over J. C. W. Beckham, Chandler's choice in the 1927 Democratic primary.Klotter, p. 317 Nevertheless, the two put aside their differences and won the general election.Klotter, p. 306 Chandler defeated

by over 95,000 votes, and Johnson defeated J. J. Kavanaugh by over 100,000 votes.

Governor of Kentucky

The division between Chandler and Laffoon led to factionalism within the state Democratic Party. When no strong gubernatorial candidate emerged from the Chandler faction in 1939, Chandler threw his support behind Johnson. John Y. Brown, Sr. announced he would challenge Johnson in the primary. This solidified the Chandler faction's support, as Brown was an outspoken critic of the Chandler administration. Brown gained the support of Chandler critics, notably former governor Ruby Laffoon, Tom Rhea, Earle C. Clements, and

Alben Barkley Alben William Barkley (; November 24, 1877 – April 30, 1956) was an American lawyer and politician from Kentucky who served in both houses of Congress and as the 35th vice president of the United States from 1949 to 1953 under Presid ...

. He further garnered the support of the

United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unite ...

and labor boss John L. Lewis. It was to no avail, as Johnson defeated Brown in the primary by over 33,000 votes to secure the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

The Republicans chose King Swope, the loser in the 1935 gubernatorial election, to oppose Johnson.Klotter, p. 318 In the middle of the campaign, however, Johnson was elevated to governor. United States Senator

died in October 1939, and Governor Chandler resigned so that Johnson—thus elevated to governor—could appoint him to the vacant seat. In the general election on November 17, Johnson defeated Swope 460,834 to 354,704, securing a full term as governor. In his inaugural address, Johnson promised to be "a saving, thrifty, frugal governor". His policies helped him eliminate the state's debt of $7 million and left the treasury with a surplus of $10 million by the end of his term. It was the first time the state had had a surplus since the administration of J. C. W. Beckham in 1903. Johnson achieved the surplus without enacting any tax increases. Not all in Johnson's party were happy with his approach to governing; one critic noted, "Old Keen frugaled here and frugaled there till he damn near frugaled us to death." ''

Louisville Courier-Journal The ''Courier Journal'', also known as the ''Louisville Courier Journal'' (and informally ''The C-J'' or ''The Courier''), and called ''The Courier-Journal'' between November 8, 1868, and October 29, 2017, is the highest circulation newspape ...

'' reporter Howard Henderson wrote several stories exposing corruption in Johnson's administration, including a significant one dealing with laundry contracts. Hubert Meredith, Johnson's politically ambitious

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, freely aired his concerns about the administration, gaining recognition for himself from the publicity generated. Historian

James C. Klotter James C. Klotter is an American historian who has served as the State Historian of Kentucky since 1980. Klotter is also a history professor at Georgetown College Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Charte ...

opined "It is doubtful whether Johnson's administration had any more political scandal than others, but the publicity made it seem that way." In the 1940 legislative session, Johnson successfully lobbied the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of pres ...

to allocate money to a teacher retirement system that had previously been authorized but left unfunded. Despite his fiscally conservative nature, he increased funds to programs to assist the elderly by $1 million per year. Other accomplishments of the session included the provision of pensions for justices on the

Kentucky Court of Appeals The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the lower of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky. Th ...

, creation of soil conservation districts in the state, and banning the sale of

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...

. Johnson's primary interest lay in improving the state's mental and penal institutions. These improvements began under Governor Chandler, and while Johnson stated that the mental hospitals and prisons were in their best condition in forty years by the end of his term, he was disappointed that he was not able to do more. In light of the financial obligations brought about by World War II, he had to curb state construction. In the 1941 legislative session, Johnson vetoed a measure allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages to surrounding states, even those with laws forbidding alcohol sales.Ogden, p. 179 The bill was very popular, and was supported by many of the state's powerful special interests. It had passed the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...

by a vote of 84–0 and the

Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...

by a vote of 31–3. After Johnson's veto, the House reversed itself, voting 86–3 to sustain the veto. In the 1942 legislative session, Johnson stressed the importance of allowing Kentucky cities to purchase and distribute power from the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

. In an address to the Assembly, Johnson declared, "I have never had a stronger conviction on a question of public policy... The principle involved is as correct as the

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...

." The Assembly passed the necessary legislation as Johnson requested. A major accomplishment of the Johnson administration was the passage of a legislative redistricting bill. Despite the fact that the U.S. Constitution requires redistricting after every decennial census, Kentucky's legislative districts had remained virtually unchanged between 1893 and 1941. He asked the 1942 legislative session to adjourn early so he could call a special session for the sole purpose of considering a redistricting bill. The legislators obliged, and passed a bill by the end of the special session. Johnson took an active part in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in 1943. Among the candidates were Ben Kilgore, Rodes K. Myers, and J. Lyter Donaldson. Myers was Johnson's lieutenant governor, but he had turned on the administration. Johnson called him a

carpetbagger In the history of the United States, carpetbagger is a largely historical term used by Southerners to describe opportunistic Northerners who came to the Southern states after the American Civil War, who were perceived to be exploiting the l ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, "a political adventurer", and "a phony farmer".Klotter, p. 322 He also ridiculed Kilgore, who had strong support from the ''Louisville Courier-Journal'', the Rural Electric Association, and the Farm Bureau, by calling him a "

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

".Harrison in ''A New History of Kentucky'', p. 373 Donaldson, Johnson's former campaign manager, secured his support and the Democratic nomination. He was defeated in the general election by Republican

Simeon Willis Simeon Slavens Willis (December 1, 1879April 1, 1965) was an American attorney who served as the 46th Governor of Kentucky, United States, serving from 1943 to 1947. He was the only Republican elected governor of Kentucky between 1927 and 1967. ...

Later life and death

Beginning in 1940, Johnson was a member of the State Democratic National Committee, serving until 1948. On June 6, 1942, he was named to the board of regents of Eastern State College (now

Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University (Eastern or EKU) is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky. As a regional comprehensive institution, EKU also maintains branch campuses in Corbin, Hazard, Lancaster, and Manchester and offers over 40 online u ...

or EKU), a position he held for eight years. EKU's Keen Johnson Building, a 1939

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

project, was named in honor of him. The building and its clock tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks on the university's campus. On January 1, 1944, he was named a special assistant to the president of

, advising him on postwar unemployment problems. He became vice-president of public relations for the company in 1945. Johnson developed a strong rapport with union leaders and in 1946, President Harry S. Truman and Kentucky Senator Alben Barkley asked him to accept an appointment to the newly created post of Undersecretary of Labor. In August 1946, Johnson took a

from Reynolds and accepted the appointment. He frequently attended President Truman's cabinet meetings due to the illness of

Secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...

Lewis B. Schwellenbach. In mid-1947, Johnson returned to Reynolds. In 1950, he became a member of the company's board of directors. In this capacity, he organized meetings of sales executives and traveled extensively to promote the company's aluminum products. He retired from Reynolds in January 1961. In 1960, Johnson sought a seat in the U.S. Senate. He defeated John Y. Brown, Sr. in the Democratic primary, but was unable to unseat Republican incumbent

in the general election. In 1961 and 1964, he was appointed to the state board of education. He served as a delegate to an assembly to revise the state constitution in 1964. In 1965, the University of Kentucky honored him with a Centennial Award and inducted him into its Hall of Distinguished Alumni."University of Kentucky Alumni Association – Keen Johnson" He died February 7, 1970, in Richmond, Kentucky, and is buried in Richmond Cemetery.

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

*
Biography at Between the Rivers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Keen 1896 births 1970 deaths American male journalists 20th-century American journalists United States Army personnel of World War I Central Methodist University alumni Editors of Kentucky newspapers Democratic Party governors of Kentucky Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky People from Anderson County, Kentucky People from Elizabethtown, Kentucky People from Lyon County, Kentucky People from Madison County, Kentucky United States Department of Labor officials United States Army officers University of Kentucky alumni 20th-century American politicians American United Methodists Southern Methodists 20th-century Methodists