Johnson, Mac R., 1914-1984
Person
Dates
- Existence: 1914-1984
Biographical Note: Mac R. Johnson
Malcolm "Mac" R. Johnson was a war correspondent over the course of World War II and later a television journalist.
Born in 1914 in Terry, Montana, Johnson grew up in Idaho and began his press career in 1937 working for the Twin Falls newspaper. He then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend Brigham Young University. After briefly working for the Salt Lake Tribune, Johnson began working as a correspondent for United Press in 1939. During Warold War II, he was an observer in 23 air combat missions, including the United States' first air raid on Tokyo using B-29 aircraft. In early 1945, he joined the New York Herald Tribune and later covered the Japanese surrender from the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri.
Johnson shifted his news career to television in 1955 when he joined CBS News. He began work for NBC in 1962, managing coverage of major events such as the loss of the submarine U.S.S. Thresher in 1963 and President Johnson's Latin American Summit Meeting in Uruguay in 1967.
Johnson eventually retired to Westport, Connecticut where he passed away at the age of 70 in 1984.
Biographical note derived from collection materials and the following resource: "Malcolm R. Johnson, veteran news reporter and editor at both print and broadcast organizations for almost half a century, died Tuesday in Westport, Conn." United Press International, June 20, 1984. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/06/20/Malcolm-R-Johnson-veteran-news-reporter-and-editor-at/7630456552000/. Accessed October 24, 2019.
Born in 1914 in Terry, Montana, Johnson grew up in Idaho and began his press career in 1937 working for the Twin Falls newspaper. He then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend Brigham Young University. After briefly working for the Salt Lake Tribune, Johnson began working as a correspondent for United Press in 1939. During Warold War II, he was an observer in 23 air combat missions, including the United States' first air raid on Tokyo using B-29 aircraft. In early 1945, he joined the New York Herald Tribune and later covered the Japanese surrender from the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri.
Johnson shifted his news career to television in 1955 when he joined CBS News. He began work for NBC in 1962, managing coverage of major events such as the loss of the submarine U.S.S. Thresher in 1963 and President Johnson's Latin American Summit Meeting in Uruguay in 1967.
Johnson eventually retired to Westport, Connecticut where he passed away at the age of 70 in 1984.
Biographical note derived from collection materials and the following resource: "Malcolm R. Johnson, veteran news reporter and editor at both print and broadcast organizations for almost half a century, died Tuesday in Westport, Conn." United Press International, June 20, 1984. https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/06/20/Malcolm-R-Johnson-veteran-news-reporter-and-editor-at/7630456552000/. Accessed October 24, 2019.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Mac R. Johnson Tokyo Bombing Run Teletype
Collection — Folder: 1
Identifier: 2018-00-00-180
Contents of the Collection
This small collection is comprised of United Press war correspondent Mac R. Johnson's teletype firsthand account as an observer onboard the B-29 aircraft "Little Gem" for a combat mission on November 24, 1944. The mission described in the teletype is the United States Air Force's first B-29 air raid on Tokyo. Johnson wrote a dramatic and detailed description of events onboard as the squadron performed a high altitude bombing over the target, the Nakajima Aircraft Factory. The teletype...