Joseph B. Johnson, who served as president of Grambling State University in Louisiana and Talladega College in Alabama, died on January 2 after a long illness. He was 83 years old.
Dr. Johnson was a native of New Orleans. He was a graduate of what is now Grambling State University. He went on to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate in education at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
President Johnson started his career as a high school teacher in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1977, he was appointed president of Grambling State University. He served in that role until 1991. Current Grambling State University President Rick Gallot, said that “we have lost an iconic leader who elevated the standing of Grambling State University across the globe. He was my president when I was a student, and he served as a mentor and advisor very early in my tenure as president.”
In 1991, Dr. Johnson was appointed president of Talladega College in Alabama. He served in that role for seven years until his retirement in 1998.
