{"id":10274,"date":"2015-12-03T15:31:29","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T22:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/?p=10274"},"modified":"2015-12-03T15:32:53","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T22:32:53","slug":"continuing-a-journey-the-spirit-and-legacy-of-helen-arthur-johnson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/2015\/12\/continuing-a-journey-the-spirit-and-legacy-of-helen-arthur-johnson\/","title":{"rendered":"Continuing a Journey: The Spirit and Legacy of Helen & Arthur Johnson"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\u201cDuring<\/a>

\u201cDuring my life I have thought of various things that I would like to have happen to me but receiving a doctor\u2019s degree from a college was a great surprise and pleasure, especially from Colorado College.\u201d \u2014 Arthur E. Johnson, pictured above at far right, during Colorado College\u2019s 1968 Commencement Ceremony.<\/p><\/div>\n

In June, the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation committed $2 million to Colorado College in support of the expansion and renovation of Tutt Library. This ambitious project will provide a world-class academic center designed around the intense study and collaboration derived from the Block Plan. The Johnson Foundation gift makes possible a new Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory, a key part of our improved capability in mapping, 3D modeling, image processing, and geological survey.<\/p>\n

This generous gift was, perhaps, not a complete surprise. Indeed, Arthur and Helen, the state of Colorado, and Colorado College share a long and rich history.<\/p>\n

Arthur Johnson was born in Colorado Springs in 1892 to Swedish immigrants only 18 years after Colorado College\u2019s founding and just 16 years after Colorado became a state. His first job, with the Midwest Refining Company, was in the oil fields of Wyoming. At age 21, Arthur returned to his hometown, spending a short time as a Colorado College student before the call of industry drew him back.<\/p>\n

Then, like so many of his generation, came service in the Great War. Arthur met and married Helen Kenney in 1918 before leaving for France, where he served on the front lines with the U.S. Army\u2019s 89th Division before coming home in 1919. After the war, Arthur returned to Midwest Oil, advancing rapidly within the company before acquiring a controlling interest in Argo Oil and several associated companies in 1932, earning him a reputation as \u201cthe best example of a Colorado oilman in history.\u201d As Arthur and Helen grew in prominence, they gave back, both serving on many boards.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s legacy of hard work and generosity has defined the Johnson family for generations. Colorado College, an institution that came of age alongside the family, has been a consistent beneficiary.<\/p>\n

In 1968, CC bestowed upon Arthur the honorary degree of Doctor of Science, completing his journey at the college from more than 50 years earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my life I have thought of various things that I would like to have happen to me but receiving a doctor\u2019s degree from a college was a great surprise and pleasure, especially from Colorado College,\u201d Arthur wrote in a letter to then-President Lloyd Worner \u201942 and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Russell Tutt.<\/p>\n

By the time CC bestowed the honorary degree, the Johnson Foundation was 20 years old and had an established record of supporting organizations that relieved suffering, met basic human needs, promoted self-sufficiency, and enriched the lives of Coloradans.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandparents had a variety of interests, and the foundation always supported a broad spectrum of organizations,\u201d said Lynn Campion, Helen and Arthur Johnson\u2019s granddaughter and foundation chair since 2005. \u201cEducation was always important to them. My grandfather thought highly of Colorado College and, later in his life, was impressed by CC\u2019s innovative Block Plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, the college, the foundation, and the Johnson family have benefitted from this shared commitment to education. Notably, in 1992, the foundation established the Johnson Scholars Program which has provided 19 outstanding Colorado students with scholarships to Colorado College. The recent gift to support the expanded library is the next step in that journey together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled that the Johnson Foundation has made a significant gift to a project at the heart of Colorado College\u2019s academic mission \u2014 our library,\u201d said CC President Jill Tiefenthaler. \u201cWithout longstanding partners like the Johnson Foundation, and the extraordinary example of Helen and Arthur, we would not be able to provide the high quality, personalized, and immersive education that defines the college.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Johnson Foundation has remained a family affair. Helen and Arthur\u2019s daughter, Barbara J. Hartley, assumed leadership after her parents passed away, serving as chairman of the board for 27 years until her daughter, Lynn, took the reins.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was always expected to give back,\u201d Campion said. \u201cThe mantra we\u2019ve always followed is \u2018give a hand up, not a handout.\u2019 By giving someone a hand up, they are able to not only help themselves, but also to help someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Altogether, the foundation made more than $230 million in grants in the state of Colorado. The organization is undergoing a major transition, making several extraordinary \u201clegacy grants\u201d before continuing the philanthropic work through two newly formed foundations. These foundations, headed by the next generation of the Johnson family, will begin making grants next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have faith that my daughters and their foundations will make a difference in Colorado and around the world, just like my grandparents did,\u201d said Campion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In June, the Helen K. and Arthur E. Johnson Foundation committed $2 million to Colorado College in support of the expansion and renovation of Tutt Library. This ambitious project will provide a world-class academic center designed around the intense study and collaboration derived from the Block Plan. The Johnson Foundation gift makes possible a new…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[26],"class_list":["post-10274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-december-2015","tag-features"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10274"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10276,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10274\/revisions\/10276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}