Ward Johnson

For William Wartenbee Johnson, see List of justices of the Ohio Supreme Court.

William Ward Johnson (March 9, 1892 – June 8, 1963) was an American lawyer and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from California from 1941 to 1945.

William W. Johnson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 18th district
In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1945
Preceded by	Thomas M. Eaton
Succeeded by	Clyde Doyle
Personal details
Born	William Ward Johnson (1892-03-09)March 9, 1892 Brighton, Iowa
Died	June 8, 1963(1963-06-08) (aged 71) Long Beach, California
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Long Beach)
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Grace Rebecca Songer
Children	George Robert Johnson, Mary Jean Johnson, Walter Franklin Johnson
Residence	Long Beach
Profession	Banker, Attorney

Biography

Born in Brighton, Washington County, Iowa, Johnson attended the public schools at Brighton and at Twin Falls, Idaho, and the University of California at Berkeley in 1913 and 1914. He was graduated from the law school of the University of Southern California at Los Angeles in 1925.

Career

He served as member of the Idaho National Guard in 1910 and 1911. After that, he worked as bookkeeper, stenographer, and manager of an automobile company at Montpelier, Idaho, and Price, Utah from 1912 to 1918. He engaged in the mercantile business in Idaho and Utah from 1918 to 1922. He also engaged in the banking and oil business at Twin Falls, Idaho, and Long Beach, California.

He was admitted to the bar in 1925 and commenced practice as a lawyer in Long Beach.

Congress

Johnson was elected as a Republican to the Seventy-seventh and Seventy-eighth Congresses (January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1945). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1944 to the Seventy-ninth Congress.

Later career and death

He resumed the practice of law in Long Beach, California, until his death there on June 8, 1963. He was interred in Sunnyside Mausoleum.

Electoral history

United States House of Representatives elections, 1940

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William Ward Johnson (inc.)	73,932	54.4
	Democratic	Byron N. Scott	60,764	44.7
	Communist	George R. Ashby	1,355	0.9
Total votes			136,051	100.0
Turnout
	Republican hold

United States House of Representatives elections, 1942

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	William Ward Johnson (inc.)	53,136	56.8
	Democratic	Francis H. Gentry	40,339	43.2
Total votes			93,475	100.0
Turnout
	Republican hold

United States House of Representatives elections, 1944

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Clyde Doyle	95,090	55.7
	Republican	William Ward Johnson (inc.)	75,749	44.3
Total votes			170,839	100.0
Turnout
	Democratic gain from Republican

References

• United States Congress. "Ward Johnson (id: J000183)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress