George D. Johnson papers

George D. Johnson was born and died in Duluth, Minnesota and was elected as Duluth's mayor twice. He was elected at age 36 on April 7, 1953, taking office April 20, 1953 and serving to 1956. He was defeated in 1956 and 1959. On September 7, 1962 we was appointed by the City Council to fill the term of E. Clifford Mork who died in office on August 14, 1962.Johnson served the remainder of that term and was re-elected to a second term April 2, 1963, but lost in his bid for re-election in 1967, when Ben Boo was elected.

Johnson was the son of Walter C. Johnson a Swedish immigrant employed as general foreman of the open hearth in the U. S. Steel plant. George worked at the plant in both labor and management positions beginning in October 1939 as senior accounts clerk and from 1941 at the wire mill's accounting department. He was president of CIO-USW Local for electrical and technical personnel. He was a past president of the United Steelworkers of America Local 3391.Johnson was also a reporter for the Duluth News Tribune. He married Duluthian Eleanor Hall in 1939, resulting in her leaving the University of Minnesota as a sophomore. They had two daughters, Barbara and Michelle, who were ages 7 and 12 when George was first elected mayor. The Johnson home was in Morgan Park at 1043 84th Ave West. Eleanor Hall Johnson died in 1994.