Welcome to the website of The Bishop Joseph Johnson History Project!
The Bishop Johnson History Project is dedicated to celebrating the life and legacy of Bishop Joseph Andrew Johnson, Jr, the first African American to be admitted and to graduate from Vanderbilt University (B.D., 1954), to receive a PhD from the University (1958), and to become a full member of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trustees. The Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt University honors his legacy.
Bishop Johnson was also the 34th bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and former president of Philips School of Theology. [Click here for full bio.]
Founded by his granddaughter, Rev. Cynthia Johnson-Oliver, the Bishop Joseph Johnson History Project exists to preserve the legacy of Bishop Johnson and to meet the continuing demand for his books, sermons, and papers that persists 40 years after his death.
Rev. Johnson-Oliver is writing a biography of Bishop Johnson and a documentary film is currently in progress. Click here to share information or memories about Bishop Johnson to be used in these projects. Follow our journey on the History Project Blog.
The Bishop Joseph Johnson History Project is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Click here to make your tax-deductible donation to support this project and help to share this important history. Contributions will be utilized to complete the documentary film and to preserve the books, papers, documents, and oral history about Bishop Johnson. Thank you for your support!