George E. Johnson Sr.
George E. Johnson Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 12, 1927 Richton, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Known for | Founder of Johnson Products Company |
George Ellis Johnson Sr. (born June 12, 1927) is a prominent American entrepreneur and businessman. He established Johnson Products Company, a global cosmetics corporation based in Chicago, Illinois, renowned for brands such as Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen.
Early life
Johnson entered the world in Richton, Mississippi, growing up in a modest three-room sharecropper's cabin. At the age of two, following his parents' separation, he relocated to Chicago with his mother. By eight years old, while enrolled at Doolittle Elementary School, he earned money shining shoes. He later attended Wendell Phillips Academy High School but left before graduation to pursue full-time employment, taking roles including bus boy and bowling alley pinsetter. In 1944, Johnson began working as a production chemist for Samuel B. Fuller, who owned a cosmetics company.
Entrepreneurship
Prompted by a colleague in 1954, Johnson departed Fuller's company to launch Johnson Products alongside his wife Joan, focusing on hair care products tailored for African American men. He raised $500 to start the business through a combination of bank financing and personal loans. The initial product introduced was Ultra Wave, a hair relaxer designed for men, followed by the 1957 release of Ultra Sheen, one of the first at-home hair straightening products for women.
Throughout the subsequent 25 years, Johnson Products broadened its product range by introducing lines such as Afro Sheen during the late 1960s, coinciding with the popularity of the Afro hairstyle. The company also prioritized cosmetologist education to ensure proper application of its products. In 1964, Johnson founded Independence Bank and later became the sole sponsor of the nationally broadcast dance program Soul Train in the 1970s. In 1971, Johnson Products broke new ground as the first African American-owned business to be listed on the American Stock Exchange, and Johnson himself became the first African American appointed to the board of Commonwealth Edison.
Personal
Johnson met Joan Betty Henderson at Phillips High School; they married in May 1950, divorced in 1989, and remarried in 1995. Together they had four children: Eric, Joan, John, and George E. Johnson Jr.
Awards and honors
Among his accolades are the Horatio Alger Award received in 1981 and the Babson Medal awarded in 1983. Additionally, he was honored with honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Commercial Science from the College of the Holy Cross in 1975 and a Doctor of Laws from Babson College in 1976.