Hugh S. Johnson

Hugh Samuel Johnson
Hugh S. Johnson on the cover of Time
Nickname(s)	Iron Pants
Born	(1881-08-05)August 5, 1881 Fort Scott, Kansas, U.S.
Died	April 15, 1942(1942-04-15) (aged 60) Washington, D.C., United States
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1903–1919
Rank	Brigadier General

Hugh Samuel Johnson (August 5, 1881 – April 15, 1942) American Army officer, businessman, speech writer, government official and newspaper columnist. He is best known as a member of the Brain Trust of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932–34. He wrote numerous speeches for FDR and helped plan the New Deal. Appointed head of the National Recovery Administration (NRA) in 1933, he was highly energetic in his "blue eagle" campaign to reorganize American business to reduce competition and raise wages and prices. Schlesinger (1958) and Ohl (1985) conclude that he was an excellent organizer, but that he was also domineering, abusive, outspoken, and unable to work harmoniously with his peers. The NRA was terminated by a ruling of the Supreme Court, and Johnson left the administration after a little more than a year.

He was born in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1881 to Samuel L. and Elizabeth (née Mead) Johnson.

His paternal grandparents, Samuel and Matilda (MacAlan) Johnson, emigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1837 and originally settled in Brooklyn, New York. Hugh's father was a lawyer, and he attended public school in Wichita, Kansas, before the family moved to Alva, Oklahoma Territory. He attempted to run away from home to join the Oklahoma state militia at the age of 15, but he was apprehended by his family before he left town. His father promised to try to secure him an appointment to the United States Military Academy (West Point), and was successful in obtaining an alternate appointment. Johnson himself discovered that the individual who was first in line for the appointment was too old, and convinced him to step aside so that Johnson could enter the Academy.