Lecture on Constitution to Feature Local Expert

Sid Johnson
	Constitution Day Lecture featuring Sid Johnson Date: Wednesday, Sept. 17 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Saliba Chapel Cost: Free

MOUNT VERNON—“The American Constitution is the central guide for American political life, and increasingly, the Supreme Court is forced to define the meaning of the guide,” according to Prof. Sid Johnson.  Prof. Johnson will be the Albert Sidney Johnson lecturer for the fall semester at Brewton-Parker College Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Saliba Chapel on the Mount Vernon campus. The event will also serve as the college’s celebration of Constitution Day.

His lecture is entitled “The Constitution and the Supreme Court.” The lecture series is named for his father, Albert Sidney Johnson Sr.

“Professor Johnson is a wise and engaging student of the American Constitution, and he has been a blessing to many as a teacher and lawyer,” said Dr. H. Lee Cheek Jr., chair of the college’s Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Currently, Prof. Johnson is Vice-President Emeritus and Professor of Political Science at Brewton-

Parker College.  Prof. Johnson is a native of South Georgia and a longtime friend, legal counsel, senior administrator, faculty member, and benefactor of Brewton-Parker College.  Born in neighboring Uvalda, Johnson earned his undergraduate degree in political science and his law degree from Mercer University.

As an attorney and an academic, his labors have included work as an Assistant United States Attorney, Assistant Attorney General of Georgia, DeKalb County Attorney, Forsyth County Attorney, as well as an impressive career as a barrister in private practice.

At Brewton-Parker College, Johnson has served as Vice-President for Fiscal Affairs, Vice-President for College Advancement, and as Professor of Political Science.  His legal practice is now limited to dispute resolution services.  Among Johnson’s many successes as an academic was the development of a criminal justice major at the College. 

He is also a celebrated writer whose contributions include Londpondium, Johnson Generations, and many law review articles. 

The Albert Sidney Johnson Lecture Series is named for a prominent South Georgian and Brewton-Parker alumnus and faculty member.  Johnson Sr. was born February 2, 1898, in Ailey, Ga., the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. William Alexander Johnson. After graduating from Brewton-Parker Institute in 1917, he attended Mercer University, where he earned a law degree in 1922, and a bachelor of arts degree in 1926. He served as Brewton-Parker’s Athletic Director from January 1923 to 1925, and again from 1927 until 1934.

Johnson was also a teacher of history and political science at Brewton-Parker. He served two terms as a representative in the Georgia State Legislature, and was, at the time of his death, campaigning for a third term. Johnson was chair of the Judiciary and Agriculture Committees in the House. He passed away in Augusta, Ga., on June 2, 1934, at the age of 36 from complications following an appendectomy, and was buried in the Johnson family cemetery in Longpond.

“We decided to inaugurate a lecture series that would allow us to reach out to our student body and local area by providing insight on the most pressing issues of our day,” said Dr. Cheek. “All too often, we think of colleges as ‘ivory towers,’ removed from the reality of the world. This lecture series will demonstrate how central academics are to our everyday life, our faith and our roles as citizens.”         

The public is cordially invited to the second Albert Sidney Johnson Lecture Series event. Admission is free, and a reception will follow the lecture.
 

-BPC-