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Overview
1863-1955 John William Johnson attended Central Tennessee College in Nashville and Brown University in Rhode Island after receiving his primary and secondary education in Columbia, Tennessee. While principal of the public school in Martin, TN, he organized the Educational Congress of West Tennessee. He taught at Morehouse College and Roger Williams University before becoming the first African American president of Roger Williams University in 1905. During summer vacations, he worked with county institutes, including the Maury County Colored Teachers’ Institute, to train new and inexperienced teachers in the art of teaching. In 1896, Johnson purchased the building at the corner of South Main and East Eighth Streets, , which is still standing, for $1,400 and rented space to black and white business owners. The African American businesses included the Florence Nicholson Beauty School, Dr. C. E. Jones, Dentist; A. J. Armstrong, Real Estate; and J. W. Johnson, Notary. The Johnson Family owned the building for almost 80 years. This building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. John William Johnson was the son of Dyer and Elizabeth Johnson. He died in 1955 at age 92 and is buried in the Rose Mount Cemetery.
