Paul B. Johnson, Sr.
1880–1943 (age 63)
Biography
Paul B. Johnson Sr., born in 1880, devoted himself to the law and public life early in Mississippi's twentieth-century transformation, earning a reputation as a thoughtful advocate for rural communities and serving his state in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He was elected governor in 1940, guiding Mississippi through the early years of World War II and championing improvements in highways, education, and agricultural policy to create opportunity for families across the state; he now rests at Oaklawn Cemetery where visitors remember his steady leadership.