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Napoleon B. Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 17, 1891 Maysville, Oklahoma (then in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory) |
| Died | 1974 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | N. B. Johnson; Napoleon Bonaparte Johnson |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, Judge |
| Known for | President of National Congress of American Indians (NCAI); Justice of the Oklahoma State Supreme Court; |
| Notable work | Founder of NCAI |
Napoleon Bonaparte Johnson (more often written as either N. B. Johnson or Napoleon B. Johnson) was born on January 17, 1891, in Maysville, Oklahoma (then in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory). He was the oldest child of John Wade and Sarah (née Mays) Johnson, who had three other children, as well. John Johnson was half Cherokee, and his wife was white, making Napoleon and his siblings one-quarter Cherokee. The father was a professional stock trader and an elder in a local Presbyterian church. John raised his son like any other native Cherokee boy and saw to it that he started his education in a local Presbyterian mission school.[1] [a] He moved to Claremore in 1905, which he called his home most of his life.[2] His formal education ended with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree at Cumberland University.
In 1908, Napoleon apparently felt the urge to venture more widely. After visiting a naval recruiting station in Oklahoma City, he won parental approval to enlist. According to Herley, he became quite homesick while even before he arrived at a naval base in California. Still, he persisted, and spent a month training aboard the U.S.S. Pensacola, before returning home. It was the end of his naval career. Johnson graduated from Mary Gregory Memorial School, a Presbyterian mission school, at Anadarko in western Oklahoma in 1909.[1]
After graduation from high school, Johnson joined the federal Indian Service, working first at a variety jobs in Tower, Minnesota, the Otoe-Missouria agency at Red Rock, Oklahoma (1913–14), and the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School at Chilocco, Oklahoma (1914–17). He later graduated from the state University Preparatory School (later renamed Oklahoma Military Academy), and attended Henry Kendall College (now Tulsa University).[1]
Johnson re-entered the military during 1918, this time enlisting in the U.S. Army. After his discharge, he worked briefly for the Osage Indian Agency legal department, then returned to Claremore where he was appointed Assistant District Attorney for Rogers County, Oklahoma.[1]
The biographical sketch written by Harlow in 1930 noted Johnson's interest in tribal and educational affairs.
- ^ a b c d e Herley, Samuel H. "The Coming Tide": Viewpoints on the Formation of U.S. Federal Indian Termination Policy, 1945-1954. April, 2010. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
- ^ Harlow, Victor Emmanuel. "Rogers County." Makers of Government in Oklahoma. p. 720. Harlow Publishing Co. 1930. Accessed June 22, 2018.
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