The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THOMAS FRANK JOHNSON” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2661-H2663 on April 30, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THOMAS FRANK JOHNSON
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding) for 5 minutes.
Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of an important man of America's Greatest Generation, Dr. Thomas Frank Johnson. He faced life's challenges head on, and, throughout all of this vast change, he always saw America's promise above all else.
Dr. Johnson, a military veteran and influential economist, passed away last December at the age of 94 and was recently buried at Arlington National Cemetery. He served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy in the Pacific from 1943 to 1945 and remained in the Navy Reserve until 1980.
He was born September 27, 1920, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and was a child of the Great Depression, which affected his economic and personal outlook. His philosophy was simple--as he would tell his children--time marches on, so must we.
Dr. Johnson was extremely proud of his military service. However, as a humble man, he only displayed one picture of himself, on his patrol craft 1191 in the Pacific, escorting aircraft carriers and destroyers into battle. After the war, he remained in the Navy, traveling by train, bringing soldiers and sailors home--some to their families, some to hospitals, and some to their final resting places.
While very proud of his service, he rarely ever spoke of his time there. He simply moved on to the next phase of his life in post-World War II America. After concluding Active Duty, Dr. Johnson completed studies in economics at the University of Virginia and was a member of the Thomas Jefferson Society.
He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1949 and began his professional career at the Department of Agriculture, specializing in the sugar beet industry, followed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In the mid-1950s, he served as the assistant commissioner of the Federal Housing Authority, in charge of research and legislation. He concluded his tenure at the Federal Housing Authority as acting commissioner. He then joined the American Enterprise Institute, where he influenced economic thought and public policy for another three decades.
For those three decades, Dr. Johnson held senior leadership roles at the American Enterprise Institute, including director of economic policy studies. In his last year, he was the acting CEO.
A man who did not seek the limelight, he had an uncanny ability to recruit and cultivate the foremost economic thinkers of our Nation. Dr. Johnson fostered the talent of at least three Nobel Prize winners in economics, including Milton Friedman, Jim Buchanan, and Gary Becker.
Dr. Johnson influenced economic policy during seven Presidential administrations. He established a lunchtime forum for informal discussions with Cabinet Secretaries, financial leaders, and ambassadors. Even President George H.W. Bush would attend the forum.
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Johnson was a humble and very forward-looking man. While engaging with many world leaders and policymakers, he was always a very private person, seldom talking about himself. He also taught economics nearly his entire professional life at the University of Virginia, George Mason University, and George Washington University.
Throughout his career, Dr. Johnson was active in professional societies such as the National Association of Business Economists, serving as chapter president in 1971; Institute for Social Science Research; Royal Economic Society; National Tax Association; American Finance Association; Southern Economic Association; and the Cosmos Club here in Washington, where he often took his children to meet important policymakers and leading economists of the Nation and the world.
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Johnson was also deeply engaged in his local community, serving on the Alexandria Hospital board of directors, including a term as its president. He also proudly served on the Alexandria school board and the vestry for St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill Episcopal Church in Alexandria.
Mr. Speaker, my thoughts and prayers are with his wife of 63 years, Margaret Ann; three children, Thomas, William, and the Reverend Sarah Nelson; and seven grandchildren.
Dr. Thomas Frank Johnson will surely be missed.
Mr. Speaker, I will submit for the Record an additional account of Dr. Johnson's life.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of an important man in American life. Dr. Thomas Frank Johnson was part of the ``Greatest Generation'', a time now referred to as the ``American Century''. He, like other nonagenarians, saw so much change during his life and faced life's challenges head on. He witnessed a World War, a dozen presidents, the beginnings of commercial aviation and lunar landings, the construction and collapse of the Berlin Wall, the rise of China and India as world powers and other wonders. Throughout all of this vast change, he always saw above all else, America's promise.
We commend Dr. Johnson--an influential economist shaping this nation's public policy and a veteran--who died December 28, 2014, at 94 years of age. He served as a Lt. Commander in the Navy in the Pacific from 1943 to 1945. He remained in the Navy Reserve until 1980.
For nearly 30 years, Dr. Johnson held senior leadership roles at the American Enterprise Institute (1958-87), including director of economic policy studies and in his last year Acting CEO. A man who did not seek the limelight, he had an uncanny ability to recruit and cultivate the foremost economic thinkers. Dr. Johnson mentored numerous AEI scholars--providing the ideas and discourse--and then editing the publications of the nation's preeminent economists and public policy planners including Jean Kirkpatrick, Carla Hills, Irving Krystal, Herb Stein, and Murray Wiedenbaum. Dr. Johnson fostered the talent of at least three Nobel Prize winners in Economics including Milton Friedman, Jim Buchanan, and Gary Becker--well-known members of the Chicago School of Economic Thought. Because of Dr. Johnson's guidance and mentoring, other colleagues and assistants have also gone onto remarkable careers.
Dr. Johnson was known as the ``Dean of AEI'' and influenced economic policy during seven presidential administrations--John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Ronald W. Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Dr. Johnson established the AEI cafeteria, a lunchtime forum for informal discussions with cabinet secretaries, financial leaders, and ambassadors. George Herbert Walker Bush was a regular.
Dr. Johnson published numerous articles of his own in professional journals and books such as Renewing America's Cities. He served on the commission for urban renewal under three Virginia Governors--Linwood Holton, Miles Godwin and Bob Dalton. In 1980, Virginia enacted a law that implemented most of commission's work with a $150 million appropriation--an enormous sum at the time--to renew Virginia's cities.
He was a humble and very forward-looking man. While engaging with many world leaders and policymakers, he was always a very private person seldom talking about himself. He mused why anyone would want to know about his past. He and his generation just didn't boast--they just faced life every day and moved into the future.
Over 94 years, Dr. Johnson achieved significant professional, community, and personal accomplishments. He was born Sept 27, 1920, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and was a child of the Great Depression which affected his economic and personnel outlook. His family had several reversals of fortune, including the loss of their tobacco farm near Farmville, Virginia. As a result, he didn't believe in debt and paid cash for everything, including his home. His philosophy was simple. As he would tell his children, ``time marches on, so must we.''
Dr. Johnson was extremely proud of his military service to our nation. However, as a humble man, he only displayed one picture of himself--on his ``Patrol Craft 1191'' in the Pacific escorting aircraft carriers and destroyers into battle. After the war, he remained in the U.S. Navy travelling by train bringing soldiers and sailors home: some to their families; some to hospitals; and some to their final resting places. While very proud of his service, he rarely ever spoke of that time. He simply moved onto his next Phase--the post World War II America.
His generation witnessed terrible tragedies and atrocities. Because of these experiences, Dr. Johnson respected people of all origins recognizing their fate could have easily been his. He often told his children about friends and colleagues who experienced incredible war-
time escapes and journeys from Eastern Europe and Asia to America. He helped many of these immigrants, refugees go onto successful lives in the United States. These harrowing experiences are why he never lost sight of America's promise.
After concluding active duty, Dr. Johnson completed studies in economics at the University of Virginia (B.A. 1943, M.A. 1947, and Ph.D. 1949) and was a member of the Thomas Jefferson Society. He also attended Lynchburg College (1939-41).
Dr. Johnson moved to Washington, D.C. in 1949 and began his professional career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1949-51)--
specializing in the sugar industry--followed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1951-54). In the mid-1950s, he served as Assistant Commissioner of the Federal Housing Authority (1954-58) in charge of research and legislation during the implementation of the urban renewal provisions of the National Housing Act of 1954. He concluded his tenure at the Federal Housing Authority as Acting Commissioner. This was a time of incredible American renewal in which he played such an important role in shaping. He then joined AEI where he influenced economic thought and public policy for another three decades.
Dr. Johnson taught economics nearly his entire professional life at the University of Virginia, George Mason University, and George Washington University. He also lectured at dozens of campuses throughout the country. He was responsible for bringing scholars to George Mason and helping to establish its economics and law schools.
Throughout his career, Dr. Johnson was active in professional societies such as the National Association of Business Economists, serving as chapter president in 1971, Institute for Social Science Research, Royal Economic Society (U.K.), National Tax Association, American Finance Association and the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., where he often took his children to meet important policymakers and leading economists.
Dr. Johnson was also deeply engaged in the local community serving on the Alexandria Hospital Board of Directors from 1965 to 1971, including a term as its president (1970-1971). As a patient, he never mentioned his leadership on the hospital board--even when getting a new pacemaker on his 90 birthday! He also proudly served on the Alexandria School Board (1974-1976) and the vestry for St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Emmanuel Church on the Hill Episcopal Church in Alexandria.
As we remember Dr. Johnson, with his family present today in the Well of the House Chamber, it was this humble member of the Greatest Generation and his contributions that made the American Century possible. He is survived by his wife of 63 years Margaret Ann
(Emhardt); three children Thomas Emhardt (Julianne Mueller), William Harrison (Tracy Schario), and the Rev. Sarah Nelson; and seven grandchildren--Gaelen, Caleb, Eliza, Keegan, and Maren Nelson and Natalie and garret Johnson.
We owe Dr. Johnson and his peers deep gratitude for their achievements and their courage--facing down incredible challenges. We live in the greatest country in the world because of men like Dr. Johnson--ones that always believed in America's promise for the future.
____________________
