Evelyn Johnson

Evelyn Johnson was born in 1920 in St. Louis, MO, and grew up in Buffalo, New York. She attended Tennessee State University and finished college in New York, where she studied dental hygiene. From 1942 to 1946 Mrs. Johnson served in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps and the Women’s Army Corps. She was stationed in Europe, where she was responsible for sorting mail sent to the troops. She found the Europeans to be much more accepting of blacks than Americans.

After the war Mrs. Johnson enjoyed a successful modeling career, and eventually moved to Tampa, where she retired from a long career with Busch Gardens.

Video Oral History

Below are excerpts from an oral history interview with Evelyn Johnson describing her experiences before and after World War II. The oral history interview was conducted by Jim Schnur, Special Collections Librarian, Poynter Library, University of South Florida St. Petersburg in September 2009.

Click on any of the links below to view clips of Johnson’s oral history interview.

Off to College: Describes heading off to college.
Deciding to Join: Describes the recruiters that convinced her to join the armed forces.
Milkshakes: Relates a funny story from her days in training.
Basic Training: Describes basic training at Fort Dix and other locations.
Difficult Duty: Describes studying for a difficult test during basic training.
Segregation: Relates her experiences with segregation in the south during basic training.
Training at Fort Oglethorpe: More stories of training.
Going Overseas: Describes her sea voyage to Europe for her first assignment.
England and France: Details experience of sorting mail in France and England, the wonderful treatment she received, and the destruction she witnessed in both England and France.
Don’t Eat the Food: Describes her refusal to eat food prepared at Fort Dix by German prisoners of war.
Back Home: Relates her experiences working for the US Census Bureau upon her return home, including the segregation she once again faced in Washington D.C.
New Career: Talks about her successful modeling career.
Meeting Duke Ellington: Relates an entertaining story of meeting, and dancing with, the famous musician.
Florida Memories: Recalls memories of visiting Florida with her father, a railroad man, during her childhood.
Meeting John Hope Franklin: Describes her memories of the late imminent historian John Hope Franklin.
Advice for Today’s Youth: Passes along some words of wisdom for today’s children.