Harry E. Johnson

Last updated
Harry E. Johnson
Harry E. Johnson, 2011 (cropped).jpg
Harry E. Johnson in 2011
Born
Harry Edward Johnson

(1954-09-29) September 29, 1954 (age 70)
St. Louis, Missouri, US
Education Xavier University
Saint Louis University
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Occupation Attorney
Years active2001-present
Known forPresident and CEO, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Harry Edward Johnson (born September 29, 1954) is an American lawyer, academic, and businessman. Johnson is a former national president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and was the president and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

Contents

Early life

Johnson was born September 29, 1954, in St. Louis, Missouri. [1] His father was James J. Johnson, a tax collector and police officer. [1] His mother, Sara L. (née Pegues) Johnson, worked for the St. Louis Board of Elections as a secretary. [1] When he was nine years old, his parents divorced. [1]

Johnson was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic schools. [1] He attended Christian Brothers College High School of St. Louis. [1]

He received a Bachelor of Arts in political from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1977. [1] While there, he joined Phi Alpha Delta, serving as its president. [1]

He then attended Saint Louis University with plans on completing a master's degree in public administration. [1] However, he withdrew to pursue a Doctor of Jurisprudence at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, graduating in May 1986. [1] [2] While there, he was a member of the Thurgood Marshall Student Bar Association. [3]

Career

In 1986, Johnson established a private practice in Houston, Texas. [1] Johnson was the city attorney for Kendleton, Texas from 1996 to 1999. [3] He then joined the law firm of Highland Poe, where he is currently the executive vice chairman. [4] He also was an adjunct lecturer at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law from 2000 to 2004. [1] He is a member of the American Bar Association, [1] National Bar Association, [1] and State Bar of Texas, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Houston Trial Lawyers Association.

Johnson was the founder, president, and CEO of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation from 2002 to 2013. [5] [3] [6] The foundation's mission, assigned by the President of the United States and the United States Congress, was to create the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. [3] Under Johnson’s leadership, the foundation raised $127 million for the memorial. [5] He oversaw the memorial through installation and dedication in 2011. [3]

Johnson owned and operated a Domino's franchise in Houston. [5] He also is president of the airport concessionaire, Creative Concourse Concessions, LLC. [5] In August 2024, he became the chairman of the Minority Business Development Agency. [6]

Honors and awards

Johnson has received several recognitions for his community involvement and public service, including:

Personal life

Johnson and his wife, Karen Gorrell Johnson, have three children. [1] [5] They live in Houston, Texas. [1]

From 2001 to 2004, Johnson served as the 31st national president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity from 2001 to 2004, stepping down to work on the MLK Memorial. [2] [1] He served on the national board of Big Brothers Big Sisters, National Urban League, the March of Dimes, and the AARP Foundation. [5] [6] He also served on the board of the Sam Houston Boy Scouts of America.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Harry E. Johnson". Contemporary Black Biography (Collection). Vol. 57. Gale. 2007. ISSN   1058-1316 . Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Harry Johnson". The Smiley Group. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Harry Johnson Bio". The Memorial Foundation. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  4. ↑ "Harry E. Johnson, Sr". Highland Poe. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "31st General President". Alpha Phi Alpha. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  6. 1 2 3 Jr, James Wright (2024-08-07). "Johnson to Lead MBDA Committee". The Washington Informer. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  7. ↑ "Trumpet Awards Foundation Announces 2011 Award Honorees". The Savannah Tribune. 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
Preceded by
Adrian L. Wallace
 General President of Alpha Phi Alpha
2001-2004		Succeeded by
Darryl R. Matthews
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