Walter Walford Johnson

Walter Walford Johnson (April 16, 1904 – March 23, 1987) was a United States businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 32nd Governor of the State of Colorado from 1950 to 1951. He was the first governor to have been born in the 20th century.

Walter Walford Johnson
32nd Governor of Colorado
In office April 15, 1950 – January 9, 1951
Lieutenant	Charles P. Murphy
Preceded by	William L. Knous
Succeeded by	Daniel I.J. Thornton
31st Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
In office January 11, 1949 – April 15, 1950
Governor	William L. Knous
Preceded by	Homer L. Pearson
Succeeded by	Charles P. Murphy
Personal details
Born	April 16, 1904 Pueblo, Colorado
Died	March 23, 1987 (aged 82) Tempe, Arizona
Political party	Democratic

Walter Walfred Johnson was born in Pueblo, Colorado on April 16, 1904. He married Neva Morrow in 1922. The couple had two children, Winnifred and Walfred. Johnson developed real estate and insurance businesses in Pueblo.

In 1940, Johnson was elected to the Colorado State Senate. In 1948, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. In April 1950, Colorado Governor William Lee Knous resigned to become a federal district judge in Denver. Johnson succeeded Knous as governor and completed the remaining nine months of Knous' term. Johnson ran unsuccessfully against Republican Dan Thornton for a full gubernatorial term in 1950.

In 1970, Johnson retired to Tempe, Arizona. He died there after a brief illness on March 23, 1987, 24 days short of his 83rd birthday, and is buried at Pueblo.

See also

• History of Colorado
• Law and government of Colorado
• List of Governors of Colorado
• State of Colorado

Further reading

• Abbott, Carl; Leonard, Stephen; and McComb, David. Colorado. Colorado Associated University Press, Boulder Colorado, 1982.
• Athearn, Robert G. The Coloradans. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1976.
• Newspaper Files of Walter W. Johnson. Denver Public Library Western History Collection.
• Ubbelohde, Carl, Benson, Maxine, and Smith, Duane. Colorado History. Boulder, CO., Pruett Publishing Co., 1972.
• Obituary, Rocky Mountain News, March 25, 1987, p. 147 and biographical article, June 25, 1955, p. 28.

External links

• The Governors of Colorado
  • The Governor Walter W. Johnson Collection at the Colorado State Archives