Lawton C. Johnson Middle School honors school office manager
By Kathryn Coulibaly
With nearly 600 operating school districts and over 2,500 school buildings, New Jersey’s public schools provide an opportunity to examine who is honored with a school named after them—and why. Just a sampling reveals amazing stories about what our communities value. As we collected these stories, one stood out: Lawton C. Johnson Middle School in Summit, Union County.
Johnson was an alumnus of the district and an office manager who had the distinct honor of having the middle school named after him in 2004, while he was still employed there. Johnson proudly served in Summit’s school district from 1954 to 2007. He passed away in 2009, but his friends and colleagues hold many fond memories of him and his dedication to Summit’s students and staff.
Here are a few recollections from the people who knew and worked with him, and the impact that naming the school for a local citizen, alumnus of the district, and educational support professional has on the school community.
Beth Thomas: School library media specialist
Mr. Johnson was Summit Middle School. He was there when the first teacher arrived in the morning and stayed there late into the evening. He was all about the school and his church. When he uncharacteristically did not show up to church one Sunday, the first place his church friends thought to check for him was Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School (LCJSMS). He had fallen ill in the school parking lot. Not long after, he was diagnosed with cancer. He worked for as long as he could.
Mr. Johnson hardly ever took a sick day in his over 50 years of employment. But he knew how to enjoy his downtime. I remember one of his favorite vacation spots was Bermuda and he enjoyed high tea at the Short Hills Hilton. He had a great sense of humor, which is needed when working in a middle school.
The school was named after Mr. Johnson in honor of over 50 years of service. He began working in the main office while still a student and after graduation became a full-time employee.
During Black History Month, there is a morning announcement about Mr. Johnson’s life and legacy. Our library has pictures and news clippings of when the school was named after him, and we tell students they can look in yearbooks going back to the 1950s and see Mr. Johnson.
One of our technology cycle teachers has invited us to her class to teach her students about how technology has evolved at LCJSMS. Part of our presentation highlights Mr. Johnson. From film strips to overhead projectors to smartboards, Mr. Johnson was there for it all.
After the school was named after him, I remember him finding great humor in answering the phone, “Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School. Lawton C. Johnson speaking.”
Buildings are often named after well-known historical figures or people who have donated money to the institution. To recognize a dedicated and loyal employee, who was a product of the Summit school system, was very forward-thinking of the board of education. And to do it while he was alive and still working meant that students and staff could get to know someone worthy of such an honor.
Maureen McCandless: Retired social studies teacher and supervisor
I met Lawton in 1979, so there are many stories to tell! Lawton was brilliant at running the main office and dealing with the staff and all of our issues. He was warm and personable and a delight to converse with. I never saw him lose his patience with any of us and there were plenty of reasons to lose patience!
Seeing Lawton first thing in the morning meant that the day was going to be OK because he was there. Lawton had an infectious laugh and a great sense of humor. He had a unique relationship with everyone on the staff.
Lawton was well-known beyond the school. If you mentioned Lawton’s name, chances are, the person had heard of him. He was devoted to his church and did a great deal of work for it. He also ran community projects such as First Night and food drives. If you had a problem, Lawton did what he could to help.
Reverend Denison Harrield from Wallace Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church first brought the idea of naming the school in Lawton’s honor to the school board. It made sense to name the school for him. He started working there when he was still in high school and knew about all facets of the school. He was the school’s heart and soul.
I can recall many years ago attending a staff development day at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit. One of the activities was about which “body part” we all represented on the staff. Lawton was the “neck” and had a T-shirt with that on it. It was a perfect way to refer to him!
I believe my career in Summit was much richer because of Lawton Johnson. I owe him so much for everything he did for me, and for making it a great place to work. When I was making up my mind about retiring, the first thing I considered was that Lawton had retired and was no longer there to brighten my day.
John Ross: seventh-grade science teacher
I first met Mr. Johnson as a clueless seventh grader at Summit Junior High School. As a bit of a scatterbrain, I often left things in school that I would need at home. This meant many frantic car rides to the school well after school hours. I would bang on the door and Mr. Johnson would always kindly answer and let me in to go to my locker. He would occasionally open a classroom if I was desperate for something I had left behind.
Once I began teaching in Summit, his kindness, compassion and giving spirit were evident in everything he did. Every school dance, field trip, school musical or any activity seemed to be always organized by Lawton. He would help with kids getting permission slips completed or helping with funds if someone could not afford the fee. He made sure every event went off without a hitch.
For the staff, he made every life event special. Bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays and retirements were always celebrated with class and style. Nothing slipped by Lawton’s caring nature. If you had a sad moment due to loss or illness, flowers and a card always showed up. If you needed meals, a sign-up sheet was produced, and he organized all deliveries. Often, he would be the one showing up at your doorstep with something warm and delicious. He was a true gentleman whose kindness and love came through everything he did.
Lawton spent over 50 years at the junior high/middle school: first as a student, then as a student office assistant, then as an office manager. No one in town had a broader connection to the Summit community than Lawton.
Someone of his stature needs to be recognized because he would never ask for, or want, the spotlight. He was always in the background making everyone else’s lives brighter. There will never be another Lawton C. Johnson. He was one of a kind!
Steffany Baptiste: Former LCJSMS special education teacher
Editor’s note: Baptiste is now an assistant principal in Fair Lawn.
On Nov. 1, 2007, we hosted Claude de Jager, principal at Amstelh of Primary in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa at Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School. Upon arrival that morning, Mr. Johnson greeted our guest at the door. Mr. de Jager was simply amazed to see that Mr. Johnson, the man named on the building, was standing before him and was a Black man. Due to the South African history of the Apartheid, Mr. de Jager was surprised and impressed that Summit, New Jersey would take such a notable step to name their building after a Black man—something that had never happened at that time in Paarl. To Claude de Jager, he was meeting a legend.
And indeed, Lawnton C. Johnson is a legend.
Kathryn Coulibaly is the associate editor of the NJEA Review and provides content and support to njea.org. She can be reached at kcoulibaly@njea.org.
Public Schools throughout New Jersey honor local, national heroes
There are many more stories of the people who have been honored with having a New Jersey public school named for them. We encourage you to share your stories of such people. Find the online version of this story on NJEA’s Facebook page and use the comments section to tell your school’s story. You can also email those stories to NJEAReview@njea.org.
Here are just a few:
Jackson
Christa McAuliffe Middle School is named after educator and astronaut Christa McAuliffe who was killed when the space shuttle Challenger exploded on liftoff in 1986. McAuliffe is the originator of the saying, “I touch the future, I teach.”
Ringwood
Peter Cooper Elementary School is named after an inventor and businessman who spearheaded efforts to link communications between the United States and Europe and who, along with his wife, invented and popularized the product that is now known as Jell-O.
Trenton
Darlene C. McKnight Elementary School is named after a paraprofessional and parent liaison who worked in the district. She served as secretary of the Trenton Paraprofessionals Association and on the negotiations team for several contracts. In the city, she did extensive work with churches, community-based organizations, peace advocacy groups, shelters, soup kitchens, and NJEA Families and Schools Together Work for Children.
Hedgepeth-Williams Middle School is named for Gladys Hedgepeth and Beline Williams who spearheaded a lawsuit against the Trenton Board of Education, to send their children to the all-white Junior School #2. With attorney Robert Queen, the case went to the state Supreme Court in 1944, which in Hedgepeth and Williams v. Trenton Board of Education ordered the desegregation of all New Jersey Public Schools.
Dr. Crosby Copeland Jr. Elementary School is named for an army veteran who went on to teach in Trenton. He later served as the school district’s superintendent for eight years. Following his retirement, he remained active in community and professional organizations and was a mentor to youth in Trenton.
Union City
Jose Marti STEM Academy is named for Jose Marti, a Cuban national hero who fought for Cuba’s independence from Spain and was a noted writer and poet.
Eugenio Maria de Hostos Center for Early Childhood Education is named for a Puerto Rican educator and intellectual who fought for Puerto Rican and Cuban independence.
Vineland
Sgt. Dominick Pilla School is named for the U.S. Army Ranger who died in the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993. Pilla was from Vineland.