Keen Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, c. 1946 | |
| 1st Undersecretary of Labor | |
| In office 1946–1947 | |
| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | David A. Morse |
| 45th Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office October 9, 1939 – December 7, 1943 | |
| Lieutenant | Rodes K. Myers |
| Preceded by | Happy Chandler |
| Succeeded by | Simeon S. Willis |
| 37th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky | |
| In office December 10, 1935 – October 9, 1939 | |
| Governor | Happy Chandler |
| Preceded by | Happy Chandler |
| Succeeded by | Rodes K. Myers |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 12, 1896 Brandon's Chapel, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 1970 (aged 74) Richmond, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Eunice Nichols |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | American Expeditionary Force |
| Rank | First lieutenant |
| Unit | 354th Infantry, 89th Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Keen Johnson (January 12, 1896 – February 7, 1970) was an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1939 to 1943; being the only journalist to have held that office.[1] After serving in World War I, Johnson purchased and edited the Elizabethtown Mirror newspaper. He revived the struggling paper, sold it to a competitor and used the profits to obtain his journalism degree from the University of Kentucky in 1922. After graduation, he became editor of The Anderson News, and in 1925, he accepted an offer to co-publish and edit the Richmond Daily Register.
In 1935, Johnson was chosen as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. He was elected and served under Governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler from 1935 to 1939. He had already secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1939 when Chandler resigned and elevated Johnson to governor so that Johnson could appoint Chandler to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of M. M. Logan. He went on to win a full gubernatorial term in the general election, defeating Republican King Swope. Johnson's desire to expand the state's social services was hampered by the financial strain imposed on the state by the outbreak of World War II. Nevertheless, he ran a fiscally conservative administration and took the state from being $7 million in debt to having a surplus of $10 million by the end of his term.
Following his term as governor, Johnson joined Reynolds Metals as a special assistant to the president. He continued his employment with Reynolds until 1961. He took a year-long leave of absence in 1946 to accept President Harry S. Truman's appointment as the first U.S. Undersecretary of Labor, serving under Lewis B. Schwellenbach. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1960, losing to incumbent Republican John Sherman Cooper. He died February 7, 1970, and was buried in Richmond Cemetery in Richmond, Kentucky.
- ^ Odgen, p. 178