Johnson, Earl D. Papers

Assistant Secretary of the Army, 1950-1952; Under Secretary of the Army, 1952-1954

The papers of Earl D. Johnson consist of correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, memoranda, photographs and speeches primarily relating to Johnson’s military career and his work as Assistant Secretary of the Army and Under Secretary of the Army during the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations.

Size: 7.5 linear feet (about 15,000 pages).
Access: Open.
Copyright: Cynthia Johnson has donated to the U.S. government her copyright interest in all writings in this collection. Documents created by U.S. government employees in the course of their official duties are also in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs.
Processed by: Dennis Bilger (1990); Jan Davis, Sharie Simon, Randy Sowell and David Clark (2006).

The papers of Earl D. Johnson, with the exception of the first series, consist of documents primarily relating to his career as an Assistant Secretary of the Army and Under Secretary of the Army from 1950 to 1954. The collection consists of nine series.

The Subject File consists of correspondence, financial records, handwritten notes, legal documents, memoranda, newspaper clippings and reports related to Johnson’s work as an investment counselor for Loomis, Sayles and Company. The documents relate to Johnson’s work assisting companies and individuals with business opportunities pertaining to household appliances, petroleum, aviation, housing, plastics, insurance, and real estate. The series ends in 1950 when Johnson was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Army.

The Activities File contains correspondence, telegrams, handwritten notes, itineraries, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials and speeches concerning national defense, missiles, day-to-day activities in the Department of the Army, expenditures and appropriations, briefings of new Senators and Army officers, aviation, and trips taken by Johnson.

The Military File consists of correspondence, financial records, handwritten notes, memoranda, newspaper clippings, press releases, printed materials and speeches related to the Korean War, shortages of ammunition, and Army purchases of beef and butter. The series also includes biographies of military officers and government officials, congratulatory letters, and information on the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference.

The Clippings File contains newspaper clippings, press releases and compiled news summaries pertaining to the Korean War, atomic weapons and testing, hydrogen bombs, military equipment, Department of Defense reorganizations, appropriations, budget cuts, the draft, Universal Military Training, NATO, communism, the United Nations, foreign policy, the Soviet Union, China, Formosa, Indo-China, Germany, India and Iran.

The Appointment Books File primarily consists of appointments that Johnson had while Assistant Secretary of the Army. The appointment books contain dates, times, names of individuals, daily arrival and departure times for Johnson, and information pertaining to incoming and outgoing telephone calls. There are two sets of appointment books for the period from 1950-1951. Both sets of appointment books appear to have been kept by V. Lee Brasse, Johnson’s secretary.

The Chronological File contains correspondence, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials and telegrams regarding Johnson’s service as Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary of the Army. The documents primarily relate to the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, the Korean War, the Army War College, the Panama Canal, requests for deferments, job recommendations and applications, military training, speeches, and Department of the Army policies, procedures and activities. Correspondents include Douglas MacArthur and Matthew Ridgway.

The Audiovisual File consists of photographs and sound recordings primarily related to Johnson’s service in the Air Transport Command and as Assistant Secretary of the Army and Under Secretary of the Army. The photographs document the activities and personnel of the 4th Ferrying Group of the Air Transport Command, including a visit by Secretary of War Henry Stimson. Notable individuals photographed include Eddie Rickenbacker, Dean Rusk, Frank Pace Jr., Rudy Vallee, Harpo Marx, Edgar Bergen, Bing Crosby and Omar Bradley. Most of the photographs are undated and do not have captions. The sound recordings include speeches and interviews by Johnson related to the Korean War, Universal Military Training, Armed Forces Day and global warfare. The original photographs and sound recordings have been transferred to the audiovisual collection and the photographs within the collection are photocopies of the originals.

The Scrapbooks File includes newspapers of the 4th Ferrying Group and 6th Ferrying Group during World War II and clippings regarding Johnson during World War II. The series also includes a scrapbook regarding the John Foster Dulles Mission to Japan in 1951. As Assistant Secretary of the Army, Johnson accompanied Dulles on this trip.

The Printed Materials File contains Congressional hearings related to appropriations, information on Johnson’s visit to Japan as part of the Dulles Mission, and a report on Army organization.

More information on the Department of the Army during the Truman Administration can be found in the papers of Harry S. Truman (Official File 1285-B and President’s Secretary’s Files) and Frank Pace, Jr.