Roger Johnson (California)
Encyclopedia
Roger Johnson was an American
businessman and government official. Johnson was born in Hartford, Connecticut
, the son of an AFL-CIO
leader. Although he was initially influenced by his father's Democratic Party politics, young Roger decided to join the Republican Party, according to him, the first time he had to pay tax
es.
Johnson was valedictorian
at Clarkson University
, where he graduated in 1956 with a degree in business. He had ambitions to play professional baseball
, but a coach convinced him to get a job in business. He eventually went to work for General Electric
. In 1969, he left GE to work for Memorex
, where he headed the disk drive division.
In 1982, Johnson moved to Orange County, California
to take control of Western Digital
. Under his control, the company's sales quadrupled, from $250 million to over $1 billion per year. The company went from 811 to 7,600 employees. He and his wife were also active in several charitable organizations, and he taughtat the University of California, Irvine
and at Claremont Graduate University
.
In 1991, Johnson was chairman of a prominent Orange County Republican fund-raising organization. However, he discussed with a reporter of the Los Angeles Times
the possibility of leaving the Republican Party and joining the Democratic Party if the right Democrat came along. Bill Clinton
took him up on the offer and met with him to see if he could obtain his support. Johnson and seven other prominent Orange County Republicans announced that they would support Clinton's bid for President
.
In 1992, Clinton nominated Johnson to head the government's General Services Administration
. Johnson said the position gave him a new outlook on governmental waste. He wrote It Can Be Fixed! Your Unmanaged Government, a book which discussed his beliefs as to how to end waste in government. Johnson boasted that he had cut the GSA's staff by 4000 and cut its operating costs by 17%. But he found himself at odds with professional bureaucrats, and various investigations into his personal finances and use of government property led to his resignation in 1996. He was cleared of all charges the following year.
Following his resignation, Johnson attacked the conservatism of the Congress under its leader Newt Gingrich
, and officially announced his switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
He died of lung cancer
at his home in Laguna Beach, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and government official. Johnson was born in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the son of an AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
leader. Although he was initially influenced by his father's Democratic Party politics, young Roger decided to join the Republican Party, according to him, the first time he had to pay tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es.
Johnson was valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
at Clarkson University
Clarkson University
-The Clarkson School:The Clarkson School, a special division of Clarkson University, was founded in 1978 as a unique educational opportunity. The School offers students an early entrance opportunity into college, replacing the typical senior year of high school with a year of college...
, where he graduated in 1956 with a degree in business. He had ambitions to play professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, but a coach convinced him to get a job in business. He eventually went to work for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
. In 1969, he left GE to work for Memorex
Memorex
Memorex began as a computer tape producer and expanded to become a major IBM plug compatible peripheral supplier. It is now a consumer electronics brand of Imation specializing in disk recordable media for CD and DVD drives, flash memory, computer accessories and other electronics.Established in...
, where he headed the disk drive division.
In 1982, Johnson moved to Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
to take control of Western Digital
Western Digital
Western Digital Corporation is one of the largest computer hard disk drive manufacturers in the world. It has a long history in the electronics industry as an integrated circuit maker and a storage products company. Western Digital was founded on April 23, 1970 by Alvin B...
. Under his control, the company's sales quadrupled, from $250 million to over $1 billion per year. The company went from 811 to 7,600 employees. He and his wife were also active in several charitable organizations, and he taughtat the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
and at Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
.
In 1991, Johnson was chairman of a prominent Orange County Republican fund-raising organization. However, he discussed with a reporter of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
the possibility of leaving the Republican Party and joining the Democratic Party if the right Democrat came along. Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
took him up on the offer and met with him to see if he could obtain his support. Johnson and seven other prominent Orange County Republicans announced that they would support Clinton's bid for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
In 1992, Clinton nominated Johnson to head the government's General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
. Johnson said the position gave him a new outlook on governmental waste. He wrote It Can Be Fixed! Your Unmanaged Government, a book which discussed his beliefs as to how to end waste in government. Johnson boasted that he had cut the GSA's staff by 4000 and cut its operating costs by 17%. But he found himself at odds with professional bureaucrats, and various investigations into his personal finances and use of government property led to his resignation in 1996. He was cleared of all charges the following year.
Following his resignation, Johnson attacked the conservatism of the Congress under its leader Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, and officially announced his switch from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.
He died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at his home in Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
.
See also
- List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines