Dr. Keith Johnson, an advertising professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, died Wednesday, July 15.
Johnson, 59, joined the university’s School of Mass Communication and Journalism faculty in 2003.
“He was a brilliant man with a very funny, very dry sense of humor,” Dr. Chris Campbell, the school’s director, said. “He was a great teacher and was notorious for being very demanding. But his students always seemed to rise to the occasion and produce great work. We’re really going to miss him.”
Johnson received his doctorate in mass communications from the University of Georgia, his master’s in advertising from Michigan State University and his bachelor’s in advertising/public relations from New Mexico State University.
He began his teaching career at his alma mater, serving as head of advertising and public relations at New Mexico State. He later taught at the University of Georgia, Louisiana State University and Texas Tech University.
Professionally, he worked as a communications director for a chain of motion picture theaters. He also worked in gubernatorial and senatorial campaigns and managed a congressional campaign. Johnson left the industry to enter advertising education, serving as Director of Educational Services for the American Advertising Federation in Washington, D.C., where he was director of the National Student Advertising Competition and Alpha Delta Sigma Honorary Society.
Dr. Johnson co-authored numerous editions of “Where shall I go to study advertising and public relations?,” a national project that surveyed all university advertising and public relations degree programs annually.
He served as advisor to Golden Eagle Advertising, the USM Chapter of the American Advertising Federation, and also advised the team in the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC).
Johnson was a decorated U.S. Army veteran who served as a public information specialist in Vietnam in 1970 and 1971. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal and the Republic of South Vietnam Honor Medal.
5 comments:
A good video tribute for a good man. Bob Press
We will all miss you, Keith.
Your FTR1 friends
I would like to thank the people at USM who put this together, it moved me in so many ways. Keith, I loved sharing our mutual Texas tech background with you and discussing old friends like Billy Ross, Don Humphries and Jim Meara with you. I miss your wit, your insight and, most of all, your friendship. I won't ever pass through New Mexico without thinking of you.
I will always miss Keith (as I called him Professor) and his wit and his scarlet x's from the chat room we shared a bond from. Thank you for putting this fitting tribute together for a wonderful man.
From one of your many FTR1 Friends!
We really miss Keith in FTR1. He made us laugh with his scarlet x's. Rest in peace Keith till we met again
Anita
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