The Harold R. Johnson papers primarily document Johnson's academic and professional career and includes correspondence, reports, talks, and topical files.
Harold Robert Johnson was born in Windsor, Ontario on January 9, 1926. He later fought in Europe during the Second World War as part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. After his discharge, he matriculated to the University of Western Ontario's Assumption College and received a Bachelor of Arts in 1950. From 1950-1957, Johnson worked as both the Executive Director of the Windsor Labor Committee for Human Rights as well as the International Representative of the International Union of United Brewery, Soft Drink, and Distillery Workers of America (AFL-CIO). He also began attending Wayne State University (WSU) in 1955 and graduated with a Master of Social Work in 1957. His thesis was entitled "A Study of the Organization of Twenty-Four Detroit Area Public Recreation Areas."
Johnson held several positions after graduating from WSU. He worked as a Planning Consultant for the United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit (1957-1961) and the Associate Director for Detroit's Neighborhood Services Organization (1961-1969). He also taught at WSU's School of Social Work as a Lecturer (1959-1966). Johnson joined the University of Michigan in 1966 as a Lecturer in the School of Social Work (SSW) and was promoted to Professor of Social Work in 1969. In 1970, he took a leave of absence from the university to organize, and then serve as the inaugural Director of, the State of Michigan's Office of Youth Services.
Johnson was deeply involved with the University of Michigan during his career. In addition to his responsibilities within the SSW, he also served as Co-Director of the Institute of Gerontology (1975-1981) and Professor of Health Gerontology in the School of Public Health (1976-1989). Under his leadership, the Institute of Gerontology dramatically expanded the number of courses offered on aging as well as embraced a more inter- and multi-disciplinary approach to gerontological education and research. His other accomplishments included increasing the number of opportunities for University of Michigan community members of color to participate in different programs within the university's Institute for Social Research (ISR) as well as helping establish what is now known as the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA).
Johnson began serving as the Dean of the university's School of Social Work in July 1981, the same time that Dr. Rhetaugh Graves Dumas began her tenure as Dean of the university's School of Nursing. Johnson and Dumas were the first Black deans of the University of Michigan.
During Johnson's tenure, the SSW underwent significant changes that included a structural reorganization, an expansion of its doctoral program, and the enhancement of its curriculum to ensure that graduates could practically tackle contemporary challenges. In 1989, while still serving as the Dean of the School of Social Work, Johnson was also appointed Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health.
Johnson stepped down as dean in 1993 but continued to serve at the university as Special Counsel to the President (1993-1994) and as Interim Secretary of the University (July – December 1994) within the Office of the Vice President and Secretary of the University. Johnson officially retired at the end of 1995. Upon his retirement, the Regents of the University of Michigan named him Dean Emeritus of the School of Social Work, Professor Emeritus of Social Work, and Professor Emeritus of Health Behavior and Health Education. In recognition of his achievements and service, the Regents also established both an endowed chair named for Johnson in the School of Social Work (in 1994) as well as the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award (in 1996), which is awarded to U-M faculty whose efforts create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive university community.
Johnson's works have focused on gerontology, multiculturalism, organizational issues, and health issues, among other topics. His authored or edited books include The Essentials of Committee Management (1979), Social Work Policy and Practice: A Knowledge-Driven Approach (1986), and Committee Management in Human services: Running Effective Meetings, Committees, and Boards.
Johnson has held membership, or otherwise participated in, a wide range of organizations. He served on numerous U-M task forces, boards, and committees, including the executive committees of both the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations and the ISR. He was also a member of the American Bar Association's Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly, chaired the Technical Committee on Education for the 1981 White House Conference on Aging, and served as President for the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education, to name a few. He also consulted for numerous organizations, including for the City of Detroit's Charter Revision Commission, during which he developed a proposal to guarantee citizens' human rights and enhance their participation in political processes.
Johnson has received numerous awards, including the Wilbur J. Cohen Award from the University of Michigan School of Education (1984), the Clark Tibbitts Award from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (1991), and the University of Michigan's Dreamkeeper Award (1993). He also received an honorary doctorate from Korea's Yeungnam University in 1984 and was elected a charter fellow of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education in 1997.
