Johnson, a Southerner who grew up on a farm in rural Georgia and was educated in a one-room schoolhouse, was a nationally revered figure who advised hundreds of school districts across the country on the hiring of superintendents, creating a blueprint for that process that ensured a voice for community members. During the volatile era of the 1960s and early 1970s, he also spoke widely on how to handle student unrest, particularly around racial issues.
