John H. Johnson
John H. Johnson
(1918-2005)
Founder
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
John H. Johnson was the founder, publisher, chairman and CEO of the Johnson Publishing Company, Inc., in Chicago, Ill., the largest Black-owned publishing company in the world and the publisher of Ebony magazine. For 55 years, the magazine has been the nation's number one African-American oriented magazine with a circulation of 1.7 million and a monthly readership of 11 million.
Johnson was born in Arkansas City. He started Johnson Publishing in 1942 with a $500 loan against his mother's furniture. The company has a book division and also publishes Jet magazine, the number one Black news weekly in America with a readership of over 8 million. It employs more than 2,600 people with sales of over $388 million. Johnson Publishing owns Fashion Fair Cosmetics, the number one makeup and skin care company for women of color around the world and Supreme Beauty products, hair care for men and women. The company is involved in television production and produces the Ebony Fashion Fair, the world's largest traveling fashion show, which has donated over $47 million to charity. The show visits more than 200 cities in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. The Johnson family is active in many charities, including the United Negro College Fund and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
