Frank Minis Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Minis Johnson Jr.
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| Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | |
| In office October 30, 1991 – July 23, 1999 |
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| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | |
| In office October 1, 1981 – October 30, 1991 |
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| Appointed by | Operation of law |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Edward Earl Carnes |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit | |
| In office June 21, 1979 – October 1, 1981 |
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| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Established by 92 Stat. 1629 |
| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Robert Edward Varner |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama | |
| In office October 22, 1955 – June 21, 1979 |
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| Appointed by | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Charles Brents Kennamer |
| Succeeded by | Myron H. Thompson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frank Minis Johnson Jr.
October 30, 1918 Haleyville, Alabama |
| Died | July 23, 1999 (aged 80) Montgomery, Alabama |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Alabama School of Law (LLB) |
Frank Minis Johnson Jr. (October 30, 1918 – July 23, 1999) was an important American judge. He served from 1955 to 1999. Judge Johnson made many key decisions that helped end racial segregation (keeping people of different races separate) and disenfranchisement (taking away voting rights) for African Americans in the Southern United States. A historian named Bill Moyers said that Judge Johnson "altered forever the face of the South."
Contents
Early Life and Education
Frank Minis Johnson Jr. was born in 1918 in Haleyville, Alabama. This part of Alabama was known for being independent-minded. For example, during the American Civil War, Winston County did not support leaving the Union.
Johnson attended the University of Alabama. He later earned his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1943. While in college, he had a funny conversation with a classmate. When asked why he was a Republican, Johnson joked that there were so few Republicans that he might become a federal judge one day. Another classmate, George Wallace, who later became the governor of Alabama, heard this. Wallace said, "Well, that'll be the day. I'll be governor by then." Later, Wallace and Johnson would often disagree during the Civil Rights Movement.
Johnson married Ruth Jenkins, who was also a student at the University of Alabama. During World War II, Johnson served in the United States Army in Europe. His wife, Ruth, worked with Hollywood directors making war films.
Early Career and Public Service
After the war, Johnson practiced law in Jasper, Alabama, from 1946 to 1953. Unlike many white voters in Alabama at the time, he was active in the Republican Party. He was a delegate to the 1948 Republican National Convention. He also helped manage the "Veterans for Eisenhower" group during the 1952 presidential campaign. Johnson was known for opposing the Democratic Party's policies that supported segregation.
From 1953 to 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. This meant he was the chief prosecutor for the federal government in that area.
Becoming a Federal Judge
President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Johnson as a judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama on October 22, 1955. The United States Senate confirmed his appointment in January 1956. He officially became a judge on February 1, 1956. He served as the Chief Judge of this court from 1966 to 1979.
Key Civil Rights Rulings
Judge Johnson made several landmark decisions that changed the course of civil rights in America:
- Ending Bus Segregation (1956): In 1956, he ruled in favor of Rosa Parks. He declared that the law forcing Black people to sit at the back of buses in Montgomery was unconstitutional.
- Desegregating Travel Hubs (1961-1962): He ordered that bus depots, like the Montgomery Greyhound station, and the Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama be desegregated.
- Protecting Freedom Riders (1961): In 1961, he ordered the Ku Klux Klan and the Montgomery police to stop attacking and bothering the Freedom Riders. These riders were trying to end segregation on interstate buses.
- Allowing the Selma March (1965): In March 1965, Judge Johnson ruled that civil rights activists had the right to march from Selma to Montgomery. This ruling overturned Governor George Wallace's ban on the march. Thousands of people joined the march, which helped lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This law protected the voting rights of all Americans.
Challenges and Threats
Because of his strong stance on civil rights, Judge Johnson faced many threats. He was protected by federal marshals for almost 20 years. In 1956, after his ruling in the Rosa Parks case, a burning cross was placed on his lawn. This was a symbol used by the Ku Klux Klan to threaten people. In 1967, his mother's house was bombed, but she was not hurt.
Later Judicial Service
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter wanted to nominate Johnson to be the Director of the FBI. However, Johnson was found to have a serious health issue (an aneurysm in his abdominal aorta). Because of this, his nomination had to be withdrawn.
President Jimmy Carter later nominated Johnson to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on April 2, 1979. He was confirmed by the Senate and became a judge on June 21, 1979.
On October 1, 1981, he was reassigned to the newly created United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He took on "senior status" on October 30, 1991. This meant he could work a reduced schedule while still hearing cases. He served for more than 40 years as a federal judge. After his death, former Senator Howell Heflin praised Judge Johnson. He said the judge's "unrelenting devotion to the rule of law" helped him strike down segregation laws.
Death
Frank Minis Johnson Jr. died at his home in Montgomery, Alabama, on July 23, 1999. He passed away from pneumonia after a fall.
Legacy and Honors
Judge Johnson received many honors for his important work:
- 1978: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
- 1979: Inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor.
- 1992: The Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama, was named after him.
- 1993: American Bar Association's annual Thurgood Marshall Award.
- 1995: Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian awards in the United States.
Important Court Decisions
Here are some of Judge Johnson's most notable decisions:
- Browder v. Gayle (1956): Ordered the end of racial segregation on public buses in Montgomery, Alabama.
- Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1961): Stopped a plan in Tuskegee, Alabama to redraw city lines to prevent Black citizens from voting.
- United States v. Alabama (1961): Ordered that Black people be allowed to register to vote if they met the same standards as the least qualified white applicants.
- Lewis v. Greyhound (1961): Required bus depots in Montgomery to desegregate, as they served interstate buses.
- United States v. City of Montgomery (1961): Ordered Montgomery to give its voting records to the U.S. Department of Justice. This was to investigate why so few African Americans were registered to vote.
- United States v. City of Montgomery, 201 F. Supp. 590 - Dist. Court, MD Alabama 1962: Required the desegregation of the airport and related facilities in Montgomery.
- Sims v. Frink (1962): Required the state of Alabama to redraw its state legislative districts. This was to make sure that each person's vote counted equally, following the "one man, one vote" rule.
- Lee v. Macon County Board of Ed. (1963): Ordered the first statewide desegregation of public schools in Alabama.
- Williams v. Wallace (1965): Ordered Governor George Wallace to allow the Selma to Montgomery march to happen.
- White v. Crook (1966): Ruled that both Black men and women in Alabama must be allowed to serve on juries.
- United States v. Alabama (1966): Declared the poll tax (a fee to vote) in Alabama unconstitutional.
- Weeks v. Southern Bell (1969): Ruled that women had the right to choose to work in physically demanding jobs, even if those jobs were historically done by men.
- Smith v. YMCA of Montgomery (1970): Ordered the desegregation of the Montgomery chapter of the YMCA.
- Wyatt v. Stickney (1971): Established that people with mental illness who are in state care have a right to proper treatment.
- NAACP v. Dothard (1974): Required the state of Alabama to continue hiring Black individuals for public safety jobs. This was to make up for many years of racial discrimination.
- Garcia-Mir v. Meese (1986): Upheld that existing U.S. law is more important than international customs.
In Popular Culture
- Actor Martin Sheen played Frank Minis Johnson Jr. in the 2014 film Selma.
