Byron L. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Byron Lindberg Johnson was an economist
and U.S. Representative
from Colorado
.
, in 1933. He earned his B.A.
at University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1938, and completed his M.A.
(1940) and Ph.D.
(1947) at University of Wisconsin–Madison as well. He married Catherine (Kay) Teter, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, in October, 1938.
in Washington, D.C.
from 1944 to 1947. He was a professor at the University of Denver
from 1947 to 1956.
Johnson was a co-founder and organizer of the Mile High Housing Association, a cooperative-housing membership group that acquired land and built 32 homes on South Dahlia Lane, in Arapahoe County
just southeast of Denver. The cooperative was launched by faculty members at the University of Denver who at the time lived in temporary postwar housing (mainly butler huts) and wanted something better. Johnson and his family moved into their home in February 1951. South Dahlia Lane's 32 homes were designed by architect Eugene Sternberg
, whose South Dahlia Lane home was next door to Johnson's. Sternberg's designs were influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright
; Wright's Pope-Leighey House in Virginia
has distinctive elements that re-appear in the Sternberg designs for South Dahlia Lane.
Johnson in 1954 launched and organized a church-sponsored housing project for the elderly, Senior Homes of Colorado. Built on East Kentucky Circle, Senior Homes of Colorado opened its doors to residents in 1958.
in 1956. He served as assistant to Gov. Steve McNichols
of Colorado from 1957 to 1958.
Johnson was elected as a Democrat
to the Eighty-sixth Congress
(January 3, 1959-January 3, 1961). He served Colorado's Second Congressional District, which at the time comprised all of northeastern Colorado except for the City and County of Denver. Johnson was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Eighty-seventh Congress
in 1960. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
s of 1960 and 1968. He served in the U.S. Agency for International Development, 1961 to 1964, and was appointed consultant for International Cooperation Administration
from 1964 to 1965.
, in 1965, the position he held until his retirement. He was elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents in 1970, for a six year term, and re-elected in 1976. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Ninety-third Congress
in 1972. He served as member of the Board of the Regional Transportation District
, Denver, Colorado
from 1982 to 1984; he was its vice chairman in 1983, and its chairman in 1984. Upon retirement, Johnson was professor emeritus at the University of Colorado. He died on January 6, 2000, in Englewood, Colorado
and was buried at Fairmount Cemetery
in Denver.
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Johnson graduated from Oconomowoc High School, Oconomowoc, WisconsinOconomowoc, Wisconsin
Oconomowoc is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi term for "waterfall." The population was 12,382 at the 2000 census. The city is partially adjacent to the Town of Oconomowoc and near the Village of Oconomowoc...
, in 1933. He earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
at University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1938, and completed his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(1940) and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(1947) at University of Wisconsin–Madison as well. He married Catherine (Kay) Teter, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, in October, 1938.
Career as an economist and housing developer
Johnson was an economist for the Wisconsin State Board of Health from 1938 to 1942. He served as staff member on the U.S. Bureau of Budget from 1942 to 1944, and of the Social Security AdministrationSocial Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1944 to 1947. He was a professor at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
from 1947 to 1956.
Johnson was a co-founder and organizer of the Mile High Housing Association, a cooperative-housing membership group that acquired land and built 32 homes on South Dahlia Lane, in Arapahoe County
Arapahoe County, Colorado
As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile...
just southeast of Denver. The cooperative was launched by faculty members at the University of Denver who at the time lived in temporary postwar housing (mainly butler huts) and wanted something better. Johnson and his family moved into their home in February 1951. South Dahlia Lane's 32 homes were designed by architect Eugene Sternberg
Eugene Sternberg
Eugene Sternberg is known for his passionate commitment and contribution to contemporary/modernist, architecture and town planning in Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states between 1950 and 1990. He designed over 400 building projects and subdivisions, many of them iconic examples of Modernist...
, whose South Dahlia Lane home was next door to Johnson's. Sternberg's designs were influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
; Wright's Pope-Leighey House in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
has distinctive elements that re-appear in the Sternberg designs for South Dahlia Lane.
Johnson in 1954 launched and organized a church-sponsored housing project for the elderly, Senior Homes of Colorado. Built on East Kentucky Circle, Senior Homes of Colorado opened its doors to residents in 1958.
Political career
Johnson served as member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1955 to 1956. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Eighty-fifth Congress85th United States Congress
The Eighty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1959, during the fifth and sixth...
in 1956. He served as assistant to Gov. Steve McNichols
Stephen L.R. McNichols
Stephen Lucid Robert McNichols was Colorado's 35th Governor from 1957 to 1963. McNichols' father William H. McNichols, Denver's well-respected auditor for over thirty years, was influential in steering his two sons Bill and Stephen toward their success in state politics...
of Colorado from 1957 to 1958.
Johnson was elected as a Democrat
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...
to the Eighty-sixth Congress
86th United States Congress
The Eighty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1959 to January 3, 1961, during the last two years...
(January 3, 1959-January 3, 1961). He served Colorado's Second Congressional District, which at the time comprised all of northeastern Colorado except for the City and County of Denver. Johnson was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Eighty-seventh Congress
87th United States Congress
-House of Representatives :-Senate:* President: Richard Nixon , until January 20, 1961** Lyndon Johnson , from January 20, 1961* President pro tempore: Carl Hayden -House of Representatives:...
in 1960. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
s of 1960 and 1968. He served in the U.S. Agency for International Development, 1961 to 1964, and was appointed consultant for International Cooperation Administration
International Cooperation Administration
The International Cooperation Administration was established by the U.S. State Department Delegation of Authority 85, June 30, 1955, pursuant to EO 10610, May 9, 1955. The predecessor to this administration was the Foreign Operations Administration . Both oganizations coordinated foreign...
from 1964 to 1965.
Return to academia
Johnson was appointed Professor, University of ColoradoUniversity of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, in 1965, the position he held until his retirement. He was elected to the University of Colorado Board of Regents in 1970, for a six year term, and re-elected in 1976. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Ninety-third Congress
93rd United States Congress
The Ninety-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1973 to January 3, 1975, during the end of Richard...
in 1972. He served as member of the Board of the Regional Transportation District
Regional Transportation District
The Regional Transportation District, or RTD, was organized in 1969 and is the regional authority operating public transit services in eight of the twelve counties in the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area in Colorado. RTD is governed by a 15-member, publicly elected Board of...
, Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
from 1982 to 1984; he was its vice chairman in 1983, and its chairman in 1984. Upon retirement, Johnson was professor emeritus at the University of Colorado. He died on January 6, 2000, in Englewood, Colorado
Englewood, Colorado
The city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the...
and was buried at Fairmount Cemetery
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
in Denver.