Paul Burney Johnson Sr. (March 23, 1880December 26, 1943) was an American attorney, judge, and politician, serving as United States Representative from Mississippi, 1919–1923, and as Governor of Mississippi, 1940–1943.

Early career

From 1907 to 1908 Johnson served as a judge of the city court of

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

. Two years later he became circuit judge of the 12th judicial district, with his tenure ending in 1919.

Congress

In 1918 Johnson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat, serving from 1919 to 1923. During this period, he developed a friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of Navy and future President of the United States, and his family. Their children played together. White, Theodore H. (1965), ''The Making of the President, 1964'', New York: Atheneum, p. 218 In

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

, Johnson won the race for Governor of Mississippi. He died in office in 1943. His son, Paul B. Johnson Jr., was serving in the Marines in the Pacific during World War II at the time. More than 20 years later, he was elected as governor in 1964. His grandson, Pete Johnson, was elected

state Auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, state examiners, or inspectors general) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, financial ...

in 1988. Paul B. Johnson State Park, a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in Mississippi, is named after him.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Paul B. Sr. 1880 births 1943 deaths Mississippi state court judges Democratic Party governors of Mississippi People from Hattiesburg, Mississippi Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi 20th-century American judges People from Scott County, Mississippi 20th-century American politicians