Robert Erwin Johnson
Encyclopedia
Robert Erwin Johnson was a University of Alabama
professor of history and considered "one of the finest scholars of the nineteenth century U.S. Navy
and U.S. Coast Guard
".
, he attended the Oregon State Agricultural College
from 1946 to 1948, then transferred to the University of Oregon
, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts
degree and was elected Phi Beta Kappa
in 1951. From 1951–52, he served again on active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserve
, rising to Petty Officer First Class
. On release from active duty, Johnson went on to complete his master of arts
degree in 1953. Going on for further graduate work, he attended the Claremont Graduate School
, where he earned his Ph.D.
in 1956 with a thesis on "United States Naval Forces on Pacific Station, 1818–1923". On 19 December 1959, he married Vivian Ellis.
appointed him assistant professor in the faculty of history. He was promoted to associate professor in 1963, and to professor of history in 1967. He retired in 1993 after serving as interim chairman of the history department during a critical time of transition for the history department.
A member of the Democratic Party
, he was also a member of the American Historical Association
, Society for Nautical Research
, World Ship Society
, Naval Historical Foundation
, and the United States Naval Institute
.
He received numerous awards for his publications on naval history, including his book, Guardians of the Sea, which won the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History
from the New York Council of the Navy League of the United States
, the North American Society for Oceanic History
's John Lyman Book Award
for the best book in U.S. naval history, and the U.S. Naval Institute's Special Award of Merit.
Johnson died in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
on 28 January 2008.
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
professor of history and considered "one of the finest scholars of the nineteenth century U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
".
Early life and education
Johnson was born in Marshfield, Oregon to Franz Oscar Johnson, a farmer, and his wife, Agnes Sandquist. Johnson enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1941 and served until 1946 on the Haida (WPG-45). After his wartime service at sea as a quartermasterQuartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
, he attended the Oregon State Agricultural College
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
from 1946 to 1948, then transferred to the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts
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...
degree and was elected Phi Beta Kappa
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
in 1951. From 1951–52, he served again on active duty in the U.S. Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
, rising to Petty Officer First Class
Petty Officer First Class
Good conductvariation,12 years or moreof good conductPetty officerfirst classinsigniaU.S. Navy &U.S. Coast GuardPetty officer, first class is the sixth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S...
. On release from active duty, Johnson went on to complete his master of arts
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...
degree in 1953. Going on for further graduate work, he attended the Claremont Graduate School
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
, where he earned his 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...
in 1956 with a thesis on "United States Naval Forces on Pacific Station, 1818–1923". On 19 December 1959, he married Vivian Ellis.
Academic career
Immediately on completion of his doctoral work in 1956, the University of AlabamaUniversity of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
appointed him assistant professor in the faculty of history. He was promoted to associate professor in 1963, and to professor of history in 1967. He retired in 1993 after serving as interim chairman of the history department during a critical time of transition for the history department.
A member of the Democratic Party
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...
, he was also a member of the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
, Society for Nautical Research
Society for Nautical Research
The Society for Nautical Research was founded in 1910 to promote the academic field of maritime history in the United Kingdom.The aims of the society are to:* support and encourage research in maritime history and underwater archaeology....
, World Ship Society
World Ship Society
The World Ship Society is an international society devoted to maritime and naval history. Founded in 1946 as Ship News Club in order to distribute shipping information to correspondents, the society now has thousands of members in dozens of branches across the world...
, Naval Historical Foundation
Naval Historical Foundation
The Naval Historical Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1926, has a broad mission to preserve and promote the naval history of the United States by supporting official Sea Services programs and institutions, meeting the needs of the public for naval history, and collecting historical...
, and the United States Naval Institute
United States Naval Institute
The United States Naval Institute , based at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, is a private, non-profit, professional military association that seeks to offer independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national defense issues...
.
He received numerous awards for his publications on naval history, including his book, Guardians of the Sea, which won the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History
Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History
The Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History is an annual prize established in 1986 and given by The New York Council of the Navy League of the United States, the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, and the Theodore Roosevelt Association. It is given for the best book on...
from the New York Council of the Navy League of the United States
Navy League of the United States
The Navy League of the United States, commonly referred to as The Navy League, is a national association made up of former members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Merchant Marine, and civilians interested in supporting the...
, the North American Society for Oceanic History
North American Society for Oceanic History
The North American Society for Oceanic History is the national organization in the United States of America for professional historians, underwater archeologists, archivists, librarians, museum specialists and others working in the broad field of maritime history...
's John Lyman Book Award
John Lyman Book Awards
The John Lyman Book Awards are given annually by the North American Society for Oceanic History for books published in six categories in the broad field of Maritime history:* Canadian naval and maritime history* U.S. naval history* U.S...
for the best book in U.S. naval history, and the U.S. Naval Institute's Special Award of Merit.
Johnson died in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
on 28 January 2008.
Works
- Thence Round Cape Horn: The Story of United States Naval Forces on Pacific Station, 1818-1923. Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis, MarylandAnnapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
: United States Naval Institute, 1963. - Rear Admiral John Rodgers, 1812–1882. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute, 1967.
- Far China Station: The U.S. Navy in Asian Waters, 1800–1898. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1979.
- Guardians of the Sea: History of the United States Coast Guard, 1915 to the Present. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1987.
- Bering SeaBering SeaThe Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
Escort: Life Aboard a Coast Guard Cutter in World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992.
Sources
- Obituary, University of Alabama News, 31 January 2008
- Gale Contemporary Authors, 2002