Frank Minis Johnson
| Frank Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | |
|
In office October 1, 1981 – October 30, 1991 |
|
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Edward Carnes |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit | |
|
In office June 21, 1979 – October 1, 1981 |
|
| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama | |
|
In office June 29, 1966 – June 21, 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Robert Varner |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama | |
|
In office October 22, 1955 – June 21, 1979 |
|
| Appointed by | Dwight Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Charles Kennamer |
| Succeeded by | Myron Thompson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frank Minis Johnson Jr. October 30, 1918 Haleyville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | July 23, 1999 (aged 80) Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth |
| Alma mater | University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Frank Minis Johnson Jr. (October 30, 1918 – July 23, 1999) was a United States Federal judge, serving 1955 to 1999 at the District and Appeals Court levels. He made landmark civil rights rulings that helped end segregation and disenfranchisement of African Americans in the South. In the words of journalist and historian Bill Moyers, Judge Johnson "altered forever the face of the South."
Frank Minis Johnson Jr. was born in 1918 and grew up in Haleyville in northern Alabama, long an independent-minded part of the state. Winston County had opposed secession from the Union during the American Civil War. Johnson graduated from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law and passed the bar.
He married Ruth Jenkins, a classmate from the University of Alabama. (Another classmate was George C. Wallace, future governor of the state, who became Johnson's bête noire during the civil rights era of the 1960s.) Johnson served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, while his wife Ruth served in the WAVES as an adviser to Hollywood directors making films about the war.
After military service, Johnson entered private law practice in Jasper, Alabama from 1946 to 1953. Unlike most white voters of the time in Alabama, he became active in politics with the Republican Party, serving as a delegate to the 1948 Republican National Convention. He managed Alabama’s “Veterans for Eisenhower” group during the 1952 campaign. Johnson was known as a foe of the Democratic Party's segregationist policies. He was appointed as a U.S. District Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, 1953–55, during President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration.
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