Record Group 10: Office of Alumni
Walter A. Johnson Series
Inclusive Dates: 1945-1958
Size: 1.66 cubic feet
Bulk Dates: 1953-1955, 1957-1958
Provenance: Walter A. Johnson
Restrictions: none
Biographical Information: Walter A. Johnson, born March 5, 1892 , attended Berry Schools from 1908 until 1912. After he graduated with a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Davidson College in 1917, he spent one year overseas during World War I. In 1918, Mr. Johnson returned to Berry and taught English. After marrying Berry graduate and teacher Mabel Lloyd, he moved to the Business Office with E. H. Hoge in 1919. He worked in this office for over twenty-two years.
Beginning in 1934, Walter Johnson served voluntarily as executive secretary for the Berry Alumni Association. After his return from World War II in 1946, he was employed by the Berry Alumni Association as the first paid, full-time Alumni Secretary. In this position, he received $200 per month plus an on-campus house. His responsibilities included handling all correspondence, providing information and services to local alumni chapters, planning and organizing major alumni events, publishing the Berry Alumni Quarterly and other alumni literature, keeping records, receiving and depositing money for the Association, and promoting the financial support of Berry by former students.
Mr. Johnson reached Berry 's retirement age in 1958. The Board of Trustees awarded the title of Alumni Secretary Emeritus, which allowed him to continue to work part-time in the Alumni Office until his death on September 7, 1983 . In addition to his position as secretary, he also served as President of the Berry Alumni Association from 1923-1926 and 1968-1970.
Description: This collection consists of correspondence relating to the Berry Alumni Association for the years 1953 – 1958. Correspondence is primarily associated with the upkeep of Alumni address lists, the publication of the Berry Alumni Quarterly , providing information and services to local clubs, the Annual Fund and other donations, handling magazine subscriptions, and the promotion of other Association events.
A large collection of photographs that belonged to Mr. Johnson is housed in the Berry College Archives Photograph Collection.
Arrangement : The processors kept the original order of the papers for the first four boxes only. In these boxes, correspondence is arranged alphabetically followed by chronologically. Due to a change in filing organization in the fifth box, the previous alphabetical arrangement was continued.
Subject Headings:
- Berry College . Berry Alumni Association
- Johnson, Walter A.
Miscellaneous: Rebecca Roberts and Kathleen Morrison processed these papers in 2002.
Preferred Citation:
Permission to publish must be obtained from the Executive Assistant to the President. Please cite: Item identification, Record Group 10 Office of Alumni - Walter Johnson Series, Berry College Archives, Memorial Library, Berry College.