Johnson (J. Leroy, U.S. Rep.) Collection, 1918-1953

Summary

Title:

Johnson (U.S. Rep. J. Leroy) Collection,

Dates:

1918-1953

Creators:

Mrs. J. Leroy Johnson

Language:

English.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Johnson (U.S. Rep. J. Leroy) Collection, Mss141, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists primarily of materials pertaining to World War I and World War II. World War I is delineated in letters from the young Johnson to his girl, Elizabeth Alpers (1918). Photographs form the bulk of the collection. These depict the Congressman touring Italy, Hawaii and Japan as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Biographical / historical:

J. Leroy Johnson, lawyer, member of the U.S. Congress (1941-1956), received a J.D. from the University of California (1914). He practiced law in Stockton (Calif.)until the onset of World War I. During the War Johnson served in France, where he won the Silver Star as a pilot for the 104th Aero Squadron of the American Expeditionary Forces. He resumed his law practice in 1919 and was elected Deputy District Attorney of San Joaquin County the following year. He married NABISCO heiress, Elizabeth Alpers, May 22, 1920. Johnson was Stockton City Attorney (1923-1933), a member of the Stockton Planning Commission(1934-1941) and Director of the Delta Investment Company. During his ten years as city attorney, Stockton's population doubled. It was in this period that Stockton's deep water port was created. Mr. Johnson's legal burden was heavy and involved land litigation cases. It was he who drafted the legislation that began city planning in Stockton.

Johnson was first elected to Congress in 1941. He served seven terms, five (78th -82nd Congress) representing the 3rd California District and two (83rd-84th Congress) representing the 11th District. Many of these were wartime years, and, Mr. Johnson by reason of his past War experience, became a significant influence on the House Armed Services Committee. Johnson toured Italy (June 1945) with various Allied commanders reviewing conditions and war damage. He then served until retired by the voters in 1956.

Physical location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.

Physical description:

0.25 linear ft.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

Processed by Daryl Morrison; revised by Don Walker; machine-readable finding aid created by Don Walker

Date Prepared:

© 1998

Date Encoded:

Machine-readable finding aid derived from paper by means of scanning and OCR; OCR file edited for typographical errors before encoding. Date of source: 1994; 1998.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Johnson (U.S. Rep. J. Leroy) Collection, Mss141, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

Location of this collection:

University of the Pacific

University of the Pacific, Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University Library

Stockton, CA 95211, US

Contact:

(209) 946-2404

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