Joseph Johnson (2001) - Hall of Fame - Southwestern Athletic Conference

Hall of Fame

Early Life & Education

Johnson was born on September 16, 1934, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the youngest of three children of Lillie (née Mickens) Johnson and Sidney T. Johnson Sr.
He attended public schools in New Orleans.
He enrolled at what was then Grambling College (now Grambling State University) and earned his Bachelor of Science in 1957.
He went on to earn a master’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder (M.A., 1967) and a Ph.D. in Education (1973).
He also pursued post-doctoral work at Harvard University as an I.E.M. Scholar.
Prior to his higher-education career, he served in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany.

Career & Leadership at Grambling State University

Johnson’s career in education began in 1962 as a high school teacher in Shreveport, Louisiana.
In 1977, he returned to his alma mater to become the third president of Grambling State University — succeeding Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones, who had served since 1936.
He served as GSU’s president from 1977 until 1991.
During his tenure, Johnson tackled major institutional challenges:
- He inherited a significant financial deficit and declining student enrollment.
- He negotiated a Consent Decree (Sept 8, 1981) between the State of Louisiana and the U.S. Department of Justice, which led to increased state support for GSU and its sister institution.
- Under his leadership, enrollment grew from roughly 2,600 students to around 7,000.
- He spearheaded the establishment of new academic programs: for example, the School of Nursing (1983) and the first doctoral program in developmental education (1984).
- The physical campus was upgraded, faculty salaries improved, and student services expanded.
He is remembered as being “student-centered” and having a strong vision for the institution’s future.