William Martin Johnson Papers
Scope and Content
The William Martin Johnson Papers include both personal and professional correspondence, ranging from November 1932 to March 1977. Johnson wrote to representatives at Public Works, American Society of Civil Engineers, the Department of Architectural Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and the War Assets Administration, among others. His letters discuss matters related to Civil Engineering. There are two photographs: one of Virginia Episcopal School, and one of Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia. This collection also features issues of The Newcomen Bulletin for North America from January 1963 to May 1973.
Dates
- 1932 - 1977
Creator
- Johnson, William Martin, 1904-1991 (Person)
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Biographical Note
William Martin Johnson was born to Ormond Watson and Minnie (Martin) Johnson on July 6, 1904. He graduated with B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1928 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He went on to work as a Civil Engineer for Wiley and Wilson, consulting engineers in Lynchburg, Virginia, eventually becoming chairman of the company board. He also wrote a book about the company, A history of Wiley & Wilson, Inc. : a professional organization since 1901 / a first person narrative history by William Martin Johnson ([s.i.]: W. M. Johnson, copyright 1986).
During World War II, Johnson served in the Construction unit of the Sanitary Corps from May 1943 until May 1946, rising to the rank of Captain.
Johnson died on December 8, 1991, and is buried alongside his family in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Lynchburg. He served at least 31 months in Mexico.
External sources:
Card for William Martin Johnson, Class of 1928 section, Box 5, V.P.I. Alumni Association World War II Alumni Cards, RG 29d, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
William Martin Johnson death certificate in the Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/4855641:9278, accessed April 22, 2024.
"William Martin Johnson", Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/124169388/william_martin_johnson, accessed April 22, 2024.
Extent
0.6 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)
Abstract
The William Martin Johnson Papers include both personal and professional correspondence, ranging from November 1932 to March 1977. Johnson wrote to representatives at Public Works, American Society of Civil Engineers, the Department of Architectural Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and the War Assets Administration, among others. Johnson (1904-1991) graduated from VPI in 1928 and worked as a Civil Engineer for Wiley and Wilson in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Arrangement
The William Martin Johnson Papers is organized in three series by material type. Series I: Correspondence includes personal and professional correspondence to and from Johnson between 1937 and about 1977. The majority of the letters relating to civil engineering topics. Series II: The Newcomen Bulletin for North America contains a collection of bulletins dating between 1963 and 1973. This series includes most, if not all, issues between 1963 and 1969, as well as scattered issues between 1970 and 1973. Series III: Papers and Ephemera consists of reports, newspaper clippings, photographs, and other personal papers.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the William Martin Johnson Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the William Martin Johnson Papers was completed in April 2015.
- Title
- William Martin Johnson Papers, 1932-1977
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sydney Vaile, Student Assistant, and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
- Date
- 2015 (CC0 1.0)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu