Lulu Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lulu Johnson
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| Born |
Lulu Merle Johnson
September 14, 1907 Gravity, Iowa, U.S.
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| Died | October 19, 1995 (aged 88) Millsboro, Delaware, U.S.
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| Education | University of Iowa (BA, MA, PhD) |
| Occupation | Historian, university administrator |
Lulu Merle Johnson (born September 14, 1907 – died October 19, 1995) was an American historian and a university leader. A historian is someone who studies and writes about the past. She was a very important person because she was the second African-American woman to earn a PhD in history in the United States. A PhD is the highest university degree you can get, showing you are an expert in your field. She was also the first African-American woman to get this degree in the state of Iowa.
Lulu Johnson is remembered as one of the first well-trained black women historians in the U.S. In September 2020, a place called Johnson County, Iowa was named after her to honor her achievements.
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Lulu Johnson's Life Story
Lulu Merle Johnson was born in 1907 on a farm near a small town called Gravity. This town is in southwestern Iowa. Her grandfather had bought the land where she was born way back in 1882.
When she was a teenager, Lulu moved to eastern Iowa. She finished high school at Clinton High School in 1925. After that, she went to the University of Iowa. She earned her first degree there, called a Bachelor of Arts (BA).
Becoming a Historian
Lulu Johnson continued her studies at the University of Iowa. In 1930, she earned her Master of Arts (MA) degree in History. Her special project for this degree was about "The Negro in Canada, Slave and Free."
After getting her MA, Lulu taught history and politics. She taught at Talladega College from 1930 to 1931. Then, she taught at Tougaloo College from 1931 to 1940.
Earning Her PhD
Throughout the 1930s, Lulu Johnson kept working towards her PhD in history at the University of Iowa. She also studied for a bit at the University of Chicago. In 1941, she successfully defended her big research paper. This paper was called "The Problem of Slavery in the Old Northwest, 1787–1858."
By doing this, Lulu Johnson made history. She became the first African-American woman to get a PhD from the University of Iowa. She was also only the second African-American woman in the entire United States to earn a doctorate in history. The first was Marion Thompson Wright. While she was studying, Lulu received money from the General Education Board to help with her research.
Facing Challenges
Lulu Johnson faced some unfair treatment while she was at the University of Iowa. This is called discrimination. For example, even though she was studying history, she had to take a swimming class. This was a requirement for her PhD. However, she was not allowed to use the university swimming pool at the same time as white students.
Later Career and Retirement
After earning her PhD, Lulu Johnson taught history at several historically black colleges. These included Florida A&M University and West Virginia State College.
In 1952, she joined the team at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. There, she was a history professor. She also served as the dean of women students, which meant she helped lead and support the female students.
Lulu Johnson was a long-time member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She retired in 1971. She moved to a town by the sea called Millsboro, Delaware. Lulu Johnson passed away there in 1995.
