Hugo Johnson

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Descendants

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Biography

Hugo Edward Napoleon Johnson was born 17 Nov 1907 at 508 Stokes Ave, North Braddock, Pennsylvania, an eastern borough of Pittsburgh.^[1][2] He was born to Swedish immigrants Claus & Hilda Johnson.

Hugo's birth certificate

His baptism as "Hugo Edvard Napoleon" was done on 29 Dec 1907 by Pastor P. J. O. Cornell at Bethel Evangelical Church, a Swedish Lutheran church in Braddock.^[1] The baptism was witnessed by his aunt Elisabeth Olsson and her husband Alfred.

Hugo was the fourth of six children born to his parents.

Five Johnson kids on a porch swing, circa Easter 1913 or 1914, likely in Braddock. (From left to right: Hugo, Ted, Hildur, Pinky, Vic.)

His siblings were:

1. Philip Albert Adrian (b. 1902, died in infancy)
2. Theodore "Ted" August Reinhold (b. 1903)
3. Victor "Vic" Oscar Emmanuel (b. 1906)
4. Hugo "Higgs" Edward Napoleon (b. 1907)
5. Paul "Pinky" Frederick Herbert (b. 1909)
6. Hildur Madeline Vernett (b. 1912)

The Five Johnson Kids, circa 1916 or 1917. (From left to right: Vic, Hildur, Hugo, Pinky, Ted.)

Hugo's mother, Hilda, had worked as a cook for wealthy families in Pittsburgh before she married Hugo's father Claus. Claus was a tradesman who had learned carpentry from a young age in Sweden. In America, he found success working as a general contractor.

In 1910, the family was recorded living at 508 Seddon Ave in North Braddock.^[3]

1910 US Federal Census: Seddon Ave, Braddock[3]

The family lived briefly in Sharon, Pennsylvania.

In 1917, they moved to Youngstown, Ohio. (By 1917, their residence was at 952 W Woodland Ave, Youngstown.) They joined the congregation of the Bethel Lutheran Church in Boardman, Ohio.

In 1920, the family was recorded living at 522 Cameron St in Youngstown.^[4] The residence is shared with Hugo's uncle George, his wife Hulda, and their kids Naomi and Norman.^[4]

1920 US Federal Census: Cameron St, Youngstown[4]

Soon after, they moved into their house at 48 St. Louis Ave. in Youngstown.

In 1921, Hugo entered South High School in Youngstown.^[2] In 1923, when he was 15 years old, Hugo's father Claus died suddenly in his sleep. Hugo's older brothers Ted and Vic -- Vic dropping out of high school -- worked to support their mother and younger siblings. Following high school graduation in 1925, Hugo went to work at the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company as an Iron & Steel Analyst, working there until 1930.^[2][5] During this period he "prepared samples and made complete chemical analyses of blast furnace, open hearth and bessemer production."^[5]

Four Johnson siblings, circa 1927, likely in front of the family home at 48 St. Louis Ave. (From left to right: Vic, Ted, Hildur, and Hugo. Pinky is missing, perhaps behind the camera?)

In the 1930 Census, he was living at home in Youngstown with his mother and siblings, and working as a chemist in a laboratory.^[6]

1930 US Federal Census: 341 Park Dr, Youngstown[6]

In June 1936, Hugo attended the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in which Alfred Landon was nominated as the Republican candidate to challenge President Franklin D. Roosevelt, then in his first term. (Hugo walked away with an American bunting flag as a souvenir.)

As a non-traditional older student, Hugo was the first of his family to attend higher education. From 1934 to 1940, he attended Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering at age 32.^[2][5] While pursuing his degree, he also worked part-time for Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH as a Research Engineer.^[2][5]

In the 1940 Census he was listed as a graduate student living in an apartment at 338 W 8th Ave on the south edge of OSU.^[7] He shared the residence with roommate and friend Francis Boulger.^[7]

1940 US Federal Census: W 8th Ave, Columbus[7]

After graduation, he began work as a Research Associate at the United States Steel Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA, working there from 1941 to 1947.^[2][5]

On 4 July 1942, he married fellow OSU grad Alice Humble at the Church of the Transfiguration (also known as "The Little Church Around the Corner"), an Episcopal church in the shadow of the Empire State Building in New York City. It was a double-wedding with their friends Kermit A. Carlson and Pauline Kulow of Youngstown, Ohio.

Wedding day of Kermit & Pauline Carlson (left) and Alice & Hugo Johnson (right), with the Very Rev. Harold F. Lemoine, outside the Little Church Around the Corner

Alice and Hugo, circa 1942

The couple lived in Pittsburgh where their first two children were born in 1944 and 1946.

They moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1948 and Hugo returned to work at Battelle as an Assistant Manager for Project Development.^[2][5]

They had another two children born in Columbus in 1950 and 1953.

Hugo worked at Battelle until 1953.

The family moved to Shaker Heights, an eastern suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. In 1954, Hugo became vice president of the Lake Superior Iron Ore Association which re-formed several years later as the American Iron Ore Association.^[5] Their offices were located at 600 Bulkley Building on Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland.

Hugo (center) with his mother Hilda (left) and his siblings (in birth order from right to left), circa 1950-something

On 7 June 1958, Hugo and Alice were among the crowd at the christening and launch of the infamous S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, a huge workhorse of a freighter designed to transport tons of iron ore from mines in Minnesota to iron works across the Great Lakes.

In August 1958 he was elected to serve as President of the Association, his term effective September 1958. In this position, he worked as an advocate and lobbyist for the steel industry, frequently traveling to Washington, D.C. to represent their interests to Congress.^[8]

Hugo Johnson Elected President of AIOA, Aug 1958[9]

Hugo retired from the position in January 1976. He died of cancer just 6 months later, on 31 May 1976.^[10][11] He was 68 years old.

Portrait of Hugo E. N. Johnson

He was buried in Lake Park Cemetery in Youngstown, Ohio.^[12]

Hugo's wife Alice survived him (and cancer) until her death in August 2003 after complications from a fall. After her funeral in Cleveland, she was buried alongside him at Lake Park Cemetery in Youngstown.

Known Addresses

The man moved around a lot in his life. The following are his known addresses:

• 17 Nov 1907 (birth): 508 Stokes Ave, North Braddock, Pennsylvania
• 1910: 508 Seddon Ave, North Braddock, Pennsylvania^[3]
• 1917: 952 W Woodland Ave, Youngstown, Ohio^[13]
• 1918: 952 W Woodland Ave, Youngstown, Ohio^[14]
• 1920: 522 Cameron St, Youngstown, Ohio^[4]
• 1921: 121 1/2 Ridge Ave, Youngstown, Ohio^[15]
• 1923: 48 St. Louis Ave, Youngstown, Ohio
• 1924: 48 St. Louis Ave, Youngstown Ohio^[16]
• 1926: 48 St. Louis Ave, Youngstown, Ohio^[17]
• 1927: 48 St. Louis Ave, Youngstown, Ohio^[18]
• 1929: 341 Park Dr, Youngstown, Ohio^[19]
• 1930: 341 Park Dr, Youngstown, Ohio^[6]
• 1940: 338 W 8th Ave, Columbus, Ohio^[7]
• 1941: 321 Beverly Road Apt B, Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania^[20]
• circa 1941: 232 Newburn Dr, Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• 1942: 2670 Amman St, Dormont, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania^[21]
• 1950: 241 S Southampton Ave, Columbus, Ohio
• 1951: 79 E Pacemont Rd, Columbus, Ohio
• 1953: 79 E Pacemont Rd, Columbus, Ohio
• 1976: 3725 Rawnsdale Rd, Shaker Heights, Ohio

Biographical Data on Hugo E. Johnson

Multiple copies of a 3-page typewritten biography are included among Hugo's personal files. It is titled "Biographical Data on Hugo E. Johnson" and may have accompanied press releases to newspapers or sent in advance of lectures at partner organizations.^[5] While likely prepared by a secretary, it is doubtful that Hugo was not strongly involved in crafting its narrative. We can therefore take it as a kind of autobiography. It is dated 13 Feb 1962.

(page 1)

Mr. Hugo E. Johnson was born in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County, just outside the city of Pittsburgh in 1907. His family moved early in his life to Youngstown, Ohio, where he went through the elementary grades and high school. In 1925, he graduated from high school and began working in industry.

From 1925 to 1930, he was employed as an iron and steel analyst at The Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company. During this period he prepared samples and made complete chemical analyses of blast furnace, open hearth and bessemer production.

The years 1931 to 1934, saw him at the Youngstown District of the Ohio Works and the Carnegie Steel Company of the United States Steel Corporation. He started as one of the first Metallurgical observers at U.S. Steel's plants. In this capacity he observed observations in the bessemer plant, the open hearth shop and in the primary and secondary and finishing mills. His last year was spent as the Chief Metallurgical Observer supervising a crew of approximately sixty observers at the Ohio Works and the MacDonald plants of the United States Steel Corporation. In this capacity he approved or rejected the steel made for specific order based upon prescribed melting practices and processing procedures.

In 1934, he resigned his position to enroll at Ohio State University as a student in the Metallurgical Department of the College of Engineering. In 1940, he was awarded a B.S. degree in Metallurgical Engineering. Also in 1934, he secured part-time employment at Battelle Memorial Institute, which he worked at while taking his academic work at Ohio State.

While employed on a part-time basis at Battelle, he participated in research investigations that led to the development of two special low alloy high-strength structural steels and the now famous Led-loy free-machining steels.

After obtaining his degree, he became a full-time Research Engineer on the staff at Battelle. His work at this time was primarily concerned with market and engineering surveys in the field of low alloy structural steels.

In January of 1941, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a Research Engineer in the newly organized Applied Research and Development Department of the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation (United States Steel Corporation).

The original assignment was to promote the acceptance of research results by the operating departments in the Corporation. This required that he spend much time at the various plants of the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation (United States Steel Corporation) discussing operating problems, suggesting research investigations directed toward the solution of the problems and coordinating the research being done on these subjects at research laboratories then located at the various plants.

(page 2)

He directed and coordinated other research programs carried on at private research institutes, such as Mellon and Battelle, and at universities.

In this period, he was instrumental in setting up research procedures within the Corporation. He directed and coordinated the planning for the new research facilities for the Corporation. He also participated in a broad range of conservation programs directed toward more efficient use of steelmaking raw materials and a more effective use of restricted alloying agents in making possible proper steels for carrying out the part of steel in the war effort during World War II.

In 1949, he returned to Battelle Institute, where in addition to coordinating research done for the iron and steel industry, he traveled extensively promoting research activity by iron and steel companies in the United States. In these visits, he discussed problems associated with raw materials, blast furnace operations, steelmaking processes, improved steels and new products. Many of these problems were subsequently subjects investigated at Battelle. Most of all, he made the iron and steel industry aware of the importance of research on the solution of problems concerned with raw materials, improved plant processing, improved steels and the application of iron and steel to new products.

In 1954, he was asked to become Vice President of The Lake Superior Iron Ore Association. Here his first assignment was to revise the organization of this Association organized in 1886, to meet the changing situation in the iron ore mining industry. This work resulted in the formation and incorporation of the American Iron Ore Association as the successor to The Lake Superior Iron Ore Association.

In 1958, he was made President of the American Iron Ore Association and continues today in that capacity.

As President of the Association, he has expanded the membership to where the Association now represents iron ore mining companies who mine over 94% o the iron ore mined in the United States and Canada. He has expanded the services of the Association to where it is now recognized as the foremost statistical group on the world production and movement of iron ore. He has worked closely with government agencies, committees of the U.S. Congress and outside trade associations, resulting in a better understanding of the complex problem of the changing iron ore mining industry so that proper and adequate solutions can be found to the many problems of the industry.

Throughout his career, he has been active in civic, technical, and professional groups. He has been active in alumni affairs of The Ohio State University. He served as Chairman of the Pittsburgh Section of the Alumni Association. He has also served as a member of the Committee of 100 of the College of Engineering. He worked with the Metallurgical Department on a comprehensive lecture course on the iron and steel industry, of which he coordinated and presented lectures.

He is active in civic affairs, working with the Boy Scouts as a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Cleveland Council, and is Chairman of his

(page 3)

District and the Troop Committee. He is active in the Community Chest and in his church, the Heights Christian Church of Shaker Heights, Ohio.

He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Ordnance Association, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, Inc., the American Society for Metals, the [ http://www.steel.org/ American Iron and Steel Institute], and the American Mining Congress.

He is married to Alice Humble (B. Sc. Nursing Education, Ohio State University, 1940) and is the father of four children - Sydney, Kenneth, Bruce, and Carolyn Alice. He lives at 3725 Rawnsdale Road, Shaker Heights 22, Ohio.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Church records of Bethel Lutheran Church in Braddock, PA, on microfilm roll #S-662 in the archives of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, USA.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} "Hugo E. Johnson's resumé", from his personal files in the collection of Marta Johnson.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGQW-RSN : accessed 31 March 2017), Hugo O E Johnson in household of Claus H Johnson, North Braddock Ward 3, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 175, sheet 14B, family 311, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1296; FHL microfilm 1,375,309.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDRM-VTN : accessed 31 March 2017), Hugo Johnson in household of Claus A Johnson, Youngstown Ward 4, Mahoning, Ohio, United States; citing ED 189, sheet 20A, line 20, family 447, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1414; FHL microfilm 1,821,414.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7} "Biographical Data on Hugo E. Johnson" a 3-page biography, self-written or self-edited history of his work for the steel industry, from Hugo's personal files in the collection of Marta Johnson. The document is dated 13 Feb 1962.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X441-1KN : accessed 31 March 2017), Hugo E Johnson in household of Hilda C Johnson, Youngstown, Mahoning, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 86, sheet 37A, line 39, family 1205, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1845; FHL microfilm 2,341,579.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KW8Z-V58 : accessed 31 March 2017), Hugo E Johnston in household of Susan Osborn Lord, Ward 15, Columbus City, Montgomery Township, Franklin, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 93-240, sheet 8A, line 25, family 192, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3248.
8. ↑ Statement of Hugo E. Johnson, President of American Iron Ore Association, Cleveland, Ohio regarding "Vessel Construction Program to Aid Domestic Trades" Wednesday, December 11, 1963. U.S. Senate, Committee on Commerce. Page 111.
9. ↑ "Hugo Johnson Elected President of AIOA" in The Escanaba Daily Press, Escanaba, Michigan, USA, 2 Aug 1958, p.2.
10. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JYQS-M35 : 20 May 2014), Hugo Johnson, May 1976; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
11. ↑ "Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VKV5-NQJ : 8 December 2014), Hugo E Johnson, 31 May 1976; from "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2010); citing vol. 22509, certificate number 040837, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus; Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Columbus.
12. ↑ FindAGrave.com #96407310, GPS coordinates: N 41° 03.456, W 80° 38.007
13. ↑ Clause A. Johnson & Hilda C. Johnson in "Youngstown, Ohio, City Directory, 1917: Ancestry.com, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995" Ohio, Youngstown, 1917, "Youngstown, Ohio, City Directory, 1917", Page 761, Image 385, Ancestry Record 2469 #35974780
14. ↑ Record Collection 2469335974780
15. ↑ "Youngstown, Ohio, City Directory, 1921", Page 601, Image 304, Ancestry Record 2469 #335974780
16. ↑ "Youngstown, Ohio, City Directory, 1924" Ancestry Record 2469 #335974780
17. ↑ "Youngstown, Ohio, City Directory, 1926" Image 399, Ancestry Record 2469 #338339873
18. ↑ "Youngstown, Ohio, City Directory, 1927" Image 401, Ancestry Record 2469 #337221502
19. ↑ "Youngstown, Ohio, City Directory, 1929", Image 313, Ancestry Record 2469 #337538267
20. ↑ Ancestry Record 60484 #400025
21. ↑ WWII Draft Card: Ancestry Record 2238 #199499075

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