Frank Minis Johnson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Minis Johnson, Jr. (born October 30, 1918 in Haleyville, Alabama - July 23, 1999 in Montgomery, Alabama) United States Federal judge, made a number of landmark civil rights rulings that helped end segregation in the South. In the words of Bill Moyers, he "altered forever the face of the South," .

An alumnus of The University of Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law (one of Johnson's classmates was future George C. Wallace, who would be Johnson's bête noire in the civil rights litigation of the 1960s), Johnson served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, while his wife, Ruth (also a classmate from The University of Alabama) served in the WAVES as an advisor to Hollywood filmmakers. After military service, Johnson entered private law practice in Jasper, Alabama, 1946-1953. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 1948; U.S. District Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, 1953-55;

Federal Judicial Service:

• Judge of U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, 1955-1979;

Received a recess appointment from President Eisenhower on October 22, 1955, to a seat vacated by Charles B. Kennamer; nominated on January 12, 1956; Confirmed by the Senate on January 31, 1956, and received commission on February 1, 1956. Served as chief judge, 1966-1979. Service terminated on July 12, 1979, due to appointment to another judicial position.

• Judge of United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1979-1981;

Nominated by President Carter on April 2, 1979, to a new seat; Confirmed by the Senate on June 19, 1979, and received commission on June 21, 1979. Service terminated on October 1, 1981, due to assignment to another court.

• Judge of United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit 1981-1999;

Reassigned October 1, 1981; Assumed senior status on October 30, 1991. He was succeeded on the bench by Edward Earl Carnes. Service terminated on July 23, 1999, upon his death.

In 1977 President Carter and Attorney General Griffin Bell asked him to become FBI Director when Director Kelley stepped down. However the day after President Carter nominated him, Judge Johnson was discovered to have an aneurysm, or abnormal swelling, of his abdominal aorta, and later had to withdraw his name from the nomination. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995.

[edit] Notable Decisions

• Browder v. Gayle (1956)

Orders the racial integration of the public transportation system of the city of Montgomery.

• Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1961)

Invalidated the city of Tuskeegee's plan to dilute black voting strength by redrawing city boundaries so as to move concentrations of black voters out of the city limits.

• United States v. Alabama (1961)

Ordered that black persons be registered to vote if their application papers were equal to the performance of the least qualified white applicant accepted on the voting rolls.

• Lewis v. Greyhound (1961)

Required desegregation of the bus depots of the city of Montgomery.

• United States v. City of Montgomery (1961)

Ordered the city of Montgomery to surrender its voting registration records to the US Department of Justice.

• Sims v. Frink (1962)

Required the state of Alabama to reapportion state legislative districts to adhere to the 'one man, one vote' principle.

• Lee v. Macon County Board of Ed. (1963)

Mandated, in Alabama, the first statewide desegregation of public schools.

• Williams v. Wallace (1965)

Ordered Gov. George Wallace to permit Dr. King's civil rights protest march from Selma to Mongomery.

• White v. Crook (1966)

Ruled that the state of Alabama must permit Blacks to serve on juries.

• United States v. Alabama (1966)

Declared the Alabama poll tax unconstitutional.

• Smith v. YMCA of Montgomery (1970)

Ordered the desegregation of the Montgomery chapter of the YMCA.

• NAACP v. Dothard

Required the state of Alabama to hire one Black state trooper for every white state trooper until racial parity was achieved.

[edit] References

• Sikora, Frank (1992). The Judge: The Life and Opinions of Alabama's Frank M. Johnson, Jr.. Black Belt Press. ISBN 0-9622815-9-X. 
• Bass, Jack (1992). Taming the Storm: The Life and Times of Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., and the South's Fight over Civil Rights. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-41348-3. 
• Yarbrough, Tinsley E. (1981). Judge Frank Johnson and Human Rights in Alabama. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-0056-2. 
• Jr. Kennedy, Robert F. (1978). Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr: A biography. Putnam. ISBN 0-399-12123-4. 
• Garrow, David J. (April 2000). "Visionaries of the Law: John Minor Wisdom and Frank M. Johnson, Jr.". Yale Law Journal 109: 1219-36. 
• Krotoszynski, Ronald J., Jr. (April 2000). "Equal Justice Under Law: The Jurisprudential Legacy of Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr.". Yale Law Journal 109: 1237-51. 
• Lewis, John (April 2000). "Reflections on Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr.". Yale Law Journal 109: 1253-6. 
• Marshall, Burke (April 2000). "In Remembrance of Judges Frank M. Johnson, Jr. and John Minor Wisdom". Yale Law Journal 109: 1207-18. 
• Thompson, Myron H. (April 2000). "Measuring a Life: Frank Minis Johnson, Jr.". Yale Law Journal 109: 1257-9. 

[edit] External links

• 1979 biographical sketch upon induction into the Alabama Academy of Honor
• ABA's 1993 Thurgood Marshall Award