Albert W. Johnson: GM's 1st black franchise owner
Matthew Kruk
Albert W. Johnson: GM's 1st black franchise owner
1920-2010 | Top car salesman went door-to-door, petitioned for 15 years
before getting his wish
January 14, 2010
BY CHERYL V. JACKSON Staff Reporter
Albert W. "Al" Johnson drove change.
The St. Louis native, who started selling cars door to door, then went
on to become General Motors' first African-American franchise owner,
helped elect Chicago's first black mayor and the first African-American
president.
Mr. Johnson was found dead at his Chicago home Wednesday. He had been a
lung cancer patient.
"My dad sold cars door-to-door, out of a briefcase," recalled his son,
Donald Johnson of Chicago.
Mr. Johnson was born Feb. 23, 1920, the son of a physician and a
homemaker.
He received a B.S. degree in business administration at Lincoln
University in 1940 and an M.S. degree in hospital administration from
the University of Chicago in 1960.
He was a hospital administrator in St. Louis in 1954 when he began to
sell cars part-time.
Even though the owner would not allow a black man on the Oldsmobile
premises and insisted he only sell to blacks, Mr. Johnson was the
dealership's top salesman.
"He fell in love with it," friend Hermene Hartman said.
Mr. Johnson initially didn't get that love returned from GM.
He'd moved to another dealership but wanted his own and had to petition
the company for 15 years before getting a franchise. He scored in 1967,
helped by civil unrest in the U.S. It was a faltering Oldsmobile
operation at 74th and Halsted that he turned around inside of a year.
"He surrounded himself with good people," his son said, noting that even
competitors would offer Mr. Johnson guidance. "They thought enough of
him and his personality and the kind of guy that he was to help him in
his business."
So successful was he that GM handed him a Cadillac dealership in 1971,
the automaker looking to trade on his name.
"He wanted to keep it South Shore Cadillac. General Motors at the time
said, 'Your name is golden,' " Donald Johnson said. "He wasn't that kind
of guy. He thought keeping it South Shore Cadillac would be the way to
go."
But Al Johnson Cadillac grew and Mr. Johnson became an independent
dealer the following year.
First big Obama Senate donor
He moved the business to Tinley Park, helping spur a dealership row
along a suburban stretch.
When it came to his job as business consultant with the City of Chicago,
Mr. Johnson didn't exactly drive a hard bargain.
He worked for Harold Washington's administration for $1 a year.
He'd founded a coalition that drafted Washington to run for mayor, and
then was a major campaign contributor.
"They saw an opportunity where we could bring government to the people,"
Donald Johnson said.
"He was able to convince other entrepreneurs to put money behind these
candidates and other issues," said Cliff Kelley, a WVON talk radio host.
Mr. Johnson also was the first large donor to Barack Obama's U.S. Senate
campaign, contributing $50,000.
"He liked the charismatic approach that Barack had, the humility that
Barack had; his character. My dad was real big on character," Donald
Johnson said.
"He was a behind-the-scenes political person," Hartman said, adding that
he was an important player in the John H. Stroger campaigns.
He was a founder of Rainbow-PUSH's predecessor.
He married Marion E. Johnson, his third wife, in 1953.
"He was outgoing and related very well to the people and to his
community," she said.
Mr. Johnson was chairman emeritus of the University of Illinois Center
for Urban Business, College for Business Administration; a board member
of LaRabida Children's Hospital, a member of th the Executives' Club of
Chicago, and the General Motors Black Dealers Advisory Board.
He is also survived by sons Al Jr. of Palos Hills and Antwoine of
Sacramento, Calif.
Funeral arrangements are pending.