William Johnson | |
|---|---|
| 15th Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools | |
| In office April 1936 – June 1946 | |
| Preceded by | William J. Bogan |
| Succeeded by | George F. Cassell (acting)[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 20, 1895 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | May 1, 1981 (aged 85) Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Resting place | Graceland Cemetery, Chicago |
| Spouse(s) |
Lillian Mattocks
(m. 1919; died 1937)Helen Ronan (m. 1938) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University (B.S. & M.A.) University of Chicago (Ph.D) |
| Profession | Educator |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Chemical Warfare Service (United States Army) |
| Years of service | 1918 |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
William Harding Johnson[2] (September 20, 1895 – May 1, 1981) was an American educator who served as superintendent of Chicago Public Schools. His decade-long tenure as superintendent was controversial, and ended with him being pressured to resign after the National Education Association released a report which detailed corrupt and unethical actions by Johnson and the Chicago Board of Education, which resulted in the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools threatening to revoke its accreditation of Chicago Public Schools' high schools. Despite his controversy, he had a number of successes, such as being credited with decreased school truancy. He also introduced innovations to the school system, such as introducing an innovative remote education approach that utilized radio broadcasts amid school closures during a 1937 polio outbreak.