• HISTORY
Courtesy photo | Easttexashistory . org
Scott Edwin Johnson
Story and photos by Jacob Courtney
Scott Edwin Johnson was an educator , veteran and the first African American Huntsville city council member of the 20th century , whose great goal was to provide quality education and leadership for the African American community .
Born Oct . 14 , 1894 in the Galilee community to the west of Huntsville , family life for Johnson was crowded , to say the least . Johnson grew up as one of 14 children , including six step brothers and step sisters from his father ’ s previous marriage .
In his early years , he received a basic education in reading , writing and mathematics , with some training in carpentry at a school where accommodations were lacking . It wasn ’ t until he turned 12 that he received a formal education enrolled at the Samuel Walker Houston Industrial and Training School , where the school ’ s namesake and
14 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | FEBRUARY | MARCH 2022
The light keeper of education
principal would provide guidance as a lifelong mentor . Houston would often visit Johnson ’ s home and gift him with books to foster his interest in education .
However , once out of high school in 1915 , Johnson worked as a cotton picker outside of Waco until the United States entered World War I , when he volunteered for service and was stationed at Newport News , Virginia .
While waiting for deployment , Johnson contracted the influenza that had swept the world and killed over 50 million worldwide . His service record was lost , he was declared missing and presuming he was dead , the family had recovered a $ 10,000 life insurance compensation and held a memorial service .
Johnson was eventually found to be very much alive still , serving overseas with the Sixth Company until the end of the war , and the record was corrected .
Once back in the United States ,