Lyman Tefft Johnson

(1906-1997) Lyman Johnson was born in Columbia, Tennessee in 1906. He was the son of By 1931, Johnson had graduated high school, achieved a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Union University and a Master’s from the University of Michigan. Johnson served as an ensign in the US Navy during WWII, and worked to educate other African-Americans in the Navy.

Johnson taught multiple high school subjects in Louisville, Kentucky, and worked in education for the rest of his life. Johnson also worked to open the door to better and higher education for minority students. He successfully filed a lawsuit against the University of Kentucky, allowing him to attend as a graduate student, making him the first African American to attend that university.. Johnson also headed the Louisville chapter of the NAACP.

Information provided by Tom Price, Director of The Maury County Archives