[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 149 (Thursday, December 1, 1994)] [Senate] [Page S] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [Congressional Record: December 1, 1994] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO CHARLES JOHNSON Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, during the recent recess of the Senate, a distinguished citizen of the State of Mississippi, Charles Johnson, passed away. He was a good friend of my family for many years, and his assistance to me as an adviser on education issues will always be remembered and deeply appreciated. A wonderful article describing his career and his valuable contributions to the State of Mississippi and to public education was written by Danny McKenzie and published in the Jackson Clarion Ledger. I ask unanimous consent that this article be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: [From the Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, MS, Oct. 16, 1994] Charlie Johnson Touched People in All Walks of Life (By Danny McKenzie) So today we must say goodbye to another of the all too few Southern gentlemen who for so many years played a major role in the shaping of Mississippi. Today we say goodbye to Charles A. Johnson Jr., who for nearly 50 years was involved in the education of Mississippi children. Johnson died Sunday, following a long and tough fight with cancer. His funeral is 10 a.m. today at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Jackson with burial at 3:30 p.m. in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Aberdeen. He was known simply as ``Charlie'' and his nickname fit him perfectly. There was not one ounce of pretentiousness about Johnson. more than an educator Charlie Johnson's specialty was education, but his qualities transcended job descriptions and reached across all human boundaries and touched people in all walks of life. Johnson was superintendent of schools in Canton and Starkville and he was president of Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson. For 10 years he was the executive secretary of the Mississippi Education Association. He was a progressive leader in education during a time when progress and education were often mutually exclusive terms. John Hartman, Johnson's executive assistant during his days with MEA, recalled a program the quiet leader came up with in 1967 that was too bold for many in the state Legislature, but one that endeared him to teachers. ``He convinced the MEA board of directors to fund a program called `You Decide','' said Hartman, now the executive director of the Mississippi Association of School Boards. ``We trotted out everything that was absolutely true about public schools, and some of it was not exactly positive. ``But the complete honesty of it caught the attention of Gov. (John Bell) Williams, and he then took the reins and turned it into a $1,000 pay raise for teachers--something that was unheard of in the South during that time. ``Charlie was totally loyal to the proposition of providing to schools the absolute best that could be provided.'' ``supremely honest'' Hartman also recalled Johnson's dealings with the Mississippi Legislature during some extremely turbulent years. ``Charlie was supremely honest,'' he said. ``One of the things he insisted on were legislative hearings on matters that had to do with education. That's another thing that was just not done back then.'' David Barham, the director of operations of the Mississippi Lions Eye and Tissue Bank, was an MEA staff member during Johnson's tenure. He said it was Johnson's dignity that made the deepest impression on him. ``That above all else,'' Barham said. ``Charlie always maintained a very quiet dignity in the toughest of situations. I'm sure that's why he had so much respect from the Legislature--his complete equanimity during some really trying circumstances.'' Hartman concurred. ``I think he could be characterized as being supremely honest with an absolute absence of any pretense, and he was kind to the core.'' Both Hartman and Barham also mentioned another of Johnson's traits: strength. Charlie Johnson was not a physically imposing man; he was tall and extremely slim. But those who knew him best knew his strength, and those who didn't know him and judged his inward strength by his outward appearance soon found how wrong they had been. Johnson's resolve, his dignity and his caring all stemmed from a close relationship with his Lord. He was one of those rare individuals who truly knew right from wrong, and who had the Christian courage to carry out his convictions. It is, I suppose, a cliche to state that Charlie Johnson was a man who made better people of all of us who knew him. He did, though, and that will be Charlie Johnson's legacy. ____________________