Harold R. Johnson, the first African American dean at the University of Michigan, passed away on October 13. He was 99 years old.
A native of Windsor, Ontario, Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Ontario’s Assumption College in 1950. After graduating, he became involved in the Canadian labor movement, serving as an international representative of the Brewery and Distillery Workers of America, the executive director of the Windsor Labour Committee for Human Rights, and a staff member with the Jewish Labor Committee of Canada.
In 1957, Johnson moved to the United States to complete his master’s degree in social work at Wayne State University in Detroit. Following service as a social planner with the United Community Service of Metropolitan Detroit, he became the associate director of the Neighborhood Services Organization in 1961. Over the next several years, he was an active participant in the political campaigns of several Detroit mayors and council members and contributed to numerous city-wide initiatives.
Johnson began his career with the University of Michigan in 1969 as a professor of social work and head of the community organization program. He held numerous leadership roles throughout his tenure, including service as the first African American chair of the university senate and director of the Institute of Gerontology. In 1981, Johnson was named dean of the university’s School of Social Work, making him the university’s first African American to hold a dean position. He led the school for 12 years before beginning an administrative role as special counsel to the president. He retired in 1996 after a stint as interim secretary of the university.
In honor of Johnson’s many achievements, the University of Michigan School of Social Work endowed its first faculty chair in his honor. Upon his retirement, the university created the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Awards to recognize faculty members’ achievements in advancing diversity.
