Eddie Bernice Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eddie Bernice Johnson
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Official portrait, 2005
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| Chair of the House Science Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Lamar Smith |
| Succeeded by | Frank Lucas |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 30th district |
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| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Jasmine Crockett |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 23rd district |
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| In office January 13, 1987 – January 12, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Oscar Mauzy |
| Succeeded by | Royce West |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 33rd district |
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| In office January 9, 1973 – September 30, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Lanell Cofer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 3, 1935 Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 31, 2023 (aged 88) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lacey Johnson
(m. 1956; div. 1970) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | St Mary's College, Indiana Texas Christian University (BS) Southern Methodist University (MPA) |
Eddie Bernice Johnson (December 3, 1935 – December 31, 2023) was an American politician. She represented Texas's 30th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2023. She was a member of the Democratic Party.
Elected in 1992, Johnson was the first registered nurse to become a member of Congress. She also served in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. She was the first black woman elected to public office from Dallas. She retired from Congress at the end of 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Eddie Bernice Johnson was born in Waco, Texas, on December 3, 1935. Her parents were Edward and Lillie Mae White Johnson. She grew up with three siblings and attended Toliver Chapel Baptist Church.
She graduated from A.J. Moore High School at age 16. She then moved to Indiana to study nursing at Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame. She earned her nursing certificate in 1955. She later got a bachelor's degree in nursing from Texas Christian University. In 1976, she earned a master's degree in public administration from Southern Methodist University.
Johnson was the first African American to be the Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital. She worked there for 16 years before starting her political career.
Early Political Career
After important laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed, more African Americans could register and vote. This led to more Black people running for and winning elections.
In 1972, Eddie Bernice Johnson ran for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives. She won by a lot, becoming the first Black woman elected to public office from Dallas. She also became the first woman in Texas history to lead a major Texas House committee, the Labor Committee.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed her as a regional director for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She was the first African-American woman to hold this job.
Johnson returned to elected politics in 1986. She was elected as a Texas state senator. She was the first woman and first African American from the Dallas area to hold this office since the Reconstruction period. She focused on health care, education, public housing, and creating jobs. She worked to make sure everyone had fair access to housing and health care.
Johnson worked hard against racism in the legislature. She sponsored bills to help "socially disadvantaged" businesses and to make housing discrimination laws stronger. She also investigated complaints about unfair practices.
U.S. House of Representatives
Joining Congress
In 1992, Johnson ran for the newly created Texas's 30th congressional district. She won the election with a large number of votes. She was reelected many times, often winning with more than 70% of the vote. In 2019, she announced she would retire in 2022.
Key Work in Congress
Johnson was the 17th chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. She disagreed with the decision to go to war in Iraq in 2002. She believed that the United States should try all peaceful options first.
In 2007, she became the first African American and first woman in Congress to chair the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. She sponsored the Water Resources Development Act. She led Congress in passing this bill even after President Bush tried to stop it. This was the only time Congress overrode a veto during his presidency.
Johnson and Representative Donna Edwards suggested creating a publicly funded park on the Moon. This park would mark where the Apollo missions landed between 1969 and 1972.
In 2021, Johnson attended COP26, a big meeting about climate change. She urged everyone to take immediate action to protect the planet. She said, "Scientists have been sounding the alarm on climate for years" and "Inaction is not an option."
Committees and Caucuses
Johnson was a strong supporter of investing in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. She introduced a bill to help more students from underrepresented groups get STEM degrees.
She was a member of the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since 1992. She was also the highest-ranking Texan on this committee.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on Science and Technology (chair)
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Aviation
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
- Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
Caucus Memberships
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Tri Caucus (founder)
- LGBT Equality Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Rare Disease Congressional Caucus
- Congressional Cement Caucus
- Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
- U.S.-Japan Caucus
Personal Life and Death
Eddie Bernice Johnson was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and The Links.
She passed away on December 31, 2023, at the age of 88.
Legacy
The Dallas Independent School District opened an elementary school in Wilmer, Texas, named after Johnson in 2020.
Dallas Union Station is officially known as "Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station" in her honor.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
