Finding aid for the Earle Johnson Photographs

Biography of Earle Levan Johnson

Earle Levan Johnson (1895-1947) was born on January 29, 1895 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. When he was eight years old, his father, Levan Johnson, moved his family to Lake County, Ohio, and settled on Old Orchard Farm, which was located on Mentor Avenue, three miles west of Painesville, Ohio. Earle Johnson attended elementary school at the old Painesville School on Mentor Avenue, and then continued his education at Painesville Senior High School. In 1914 he was admitted to Ohio State University where he received a degree in chemistry. While at Ohio State University, "Tiny" Johnson (he was six feet, 4 inches tall and weighted 240 pounds) played left guard for the university football team and was a starter on the first Ohio State team ever to win a Big Ten championship.

In 1917, Earle returned to Lake County to manage both Old Orchard Farm and the farm of the father of his close friend, David Ingalls. In between jobs, Earle courted and married Doris Doan, daughter of Walter S. Doan of the prominent Doan family of Cleveland, Ohio.

During the 1920s and 1930s, a great number of business and community activities occupied Johnson's time. Interested in real estate, he established the Johnson Land and Building Company and the Earlevan Realty Company. He also built, managed, and maintained a number of properties in Lake County. His holdings including the Johnson Building on Park Place in downtown Painesville, numerous apartments, and the I & J Hardware Store. Johnson also worked in the brewery business, rising to become vice-president of the Leisy Brewing Company of Cleveland. He was also vice-president of the Northern Ohio Insurance Corporation and a sales representative for Cadillac and Lasalle motor cars. He also served as a director of the Curtis Aircraft Corporation and managed Mentor Harbor Development. He was vice-president of the Cleveland Rams and served on the board of trustees of Lake Erie College.

His spare time was occupied with various church and civic activities. He was active in the council of the Lake County Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and continued his father's sponsorship of Camp Levan Johnson for underprivileged children. In the 1930s he was chairman of the "Come to Cleveland Committee" of the Cleveland Advertising Club and was influential in drawing many large conventions to Cleveland during that time. Johnson was also an active member of St. James Episcopal Church in Painesville, the Masons, the American Legion, the Odd Fellows, the Rotary Club, the University Club, the Union Club, the Cleveland Big Ten Club, and the Ohio Society of New York.

Besides taking over his father's farm, Earle Johnson also took over his father's position on the Lake County Republican Central Committee and he later became treasurer of its executive committee. In 1926, Earle won election to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served three terms. While in Columbus, he took a leading role in many important legislative affairs, including the sponsorship of aviation and state taxation bills. In 1932, he managed David Ingalls' unsuccessful bid for governor of Ohio.

Johnson's interest in aviation was aroused by David Ingalls who was a pilot. Starting in 1929, they often flew between Cleveland and Columbus. Johnson soloed and won his pilot's wings in April 1930. The publicity of his flying to address various organizations helped bring national conventions to Cleveland. In 1939, Ohio governor Bricker appointed Johnson state director of aeronautics.

In the early months of World War II, Johnson urged the federal government to permit civilian pilots to play a role in the war effort. In 1941, he organized many of Ohio's private pilots into a state wing of the Civil Air Defense. When the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was organized later that year, he organized Ohio's pilots and then left for Washington to serve as assistant executive officer of the Patrol. Early in 1942 Johnson was appointed national commander of the CAP, a position he held for the duration of the war. In that capacity he was ultimately promoted to the rank of Colonel.

As national commander, he guided the efforts of the Civil Air Patrol through its most crucial and active period. CAP wings, staffed by civilian volunteers, were organized in all 48 states. Initially, the Patrol's missions included aerial patrols, air delivery of important supplies, and guarding small airfields to prevent enemy landings. Later, the mission expanded to include a program of anti-submarine patrols and an air cadet training program for the Army Air Corps. by the end of the war, over 200,000 people were participating in CAP activities. For his efforts, Johnson was praised by many prominent Americans and awarded the Army's Legion of Merit.

After the war, Johnson worked temporarily with the Army-Navy Liquidation Committee to dispose of surplus aircraft in North Africa. He then continued as national commander of the Civil Air Patrol until his fatal airplane accident in North Royalton, Ohio, on February 16, 1947. Johnson was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, the former Doris Doan, who died in January 1974.

Scope and Content

The Earle Johnson Photographs, ca. 1886-1947, consist of photographs and albums relating to the career and family and friends of Col. Earle Johnson. Included are numerous photographs reflecting Johnson's career with the Civil Air Patrol. Also included are scenes depicting cadet training at Smyrna Army Airfield, Tennessee, during World War II.

The first photograph album contains 68 black and white photographs and measures 5.25 x 7 inches. The second photograph album contains 7 black and white photographs and measures 5.75 x 7.25 inches. The third photograph album contains 24 black and white photographs and measures 8.25 x 11.25 inches. The fourth photograph album contains 24 black and white photographs and measures 9.5 x 10.75 inches. There are approximately 635 loose black and white photographs that measure 11 x 14 inches and smaller. The collection also contains approximately 160 black and white negatives measuring3 x 5.5 inches and smaller.

This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of World War II and the activities of the Civil Air Patrol in the United States. Those studying the history of business, entrepreneurship, aviation, and the careers of Earle Levan Johnson in Cleveland and northeast Ohio will find this collection useful.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 3588 Earle Levan Johnson Papers.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] PG 107 Earle Levan Johnson Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

These photographs were removed from MS 3588 Earle Levan Johnson Papers. Gift of the Doris Doan Johnson Trust in 1974.

Detailed Description of The Collection