Norman Johnson
Cornelius Amory Pugsley Local Medal Award, 1966

Norman S. Johnson (1913 - 2005) received the Pugsley Medal in 1966 "for innovation in conservation at the local level and for his conservation philosophy which sets an example for the nation." He was born, raised and educated in Los Angeles. He graduated from Los Angeles High School and from the University of Southern California in 1934 where he majored in public administration. As a young man, he had a passion for sports, especially baseball, tennis and golf. After leaving university, he played semi-professional baseball for the Hollywood Stars in the third base position and throughout his life he was an avid fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

Johnson began his professional career with the Texaco Oil Company in 1932. In 1934, he was appointed to the position of field auditor for the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller and remained with the county for the remainder of his working life with the exception of a four-year period from 1942-1946 in the U.S. Air Force.

 

In 1948, Johnson became budget analyst in the county manager's office and two years later became business manager for the county fire department. In 1952, he joined the County Parks and Recreation Department as business manager and a year later was promoted to executive assistant to the director. In 1956, he became director of parks and recreation and remained as director for 17 years until his retirement in 1973.

 

During his tenure as director, the county parks and recreation department grew from a relatively small parks department serving local neighborhoods in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, to a large multifaceted regional parks system serving all of the residents of Los Angeles County. Indeed, it became the largest county parks and recreation department in the U.S. He was widely admired for his skills in raising money to purchase and operate new park facilities. He enjoyed civil service status which freed him to confront elected board members if he knew he was right. This enabled him to publicly voice his frustration at the lack of vision and political courage of the county's elected officials. In the late 1950s and 1960s he chastised them for failing to invest in land for parks while it was still available noting, "We will have to pay 10 times the bill in the future years...what kind of environment do we want to live in and what will our children live in?" When the county's board of supervisors in 1964 rejected the recommendation of an independent body to establish a fixed levy for regional parks, Johnson was appalled:

It would have given us $4 million a year for acquisition and development without going into the general fund. The board rejected it unanimously. Four million! This represents the price of a beer at the ball game -- 50 cents a person. But when you talk about the total they immediately get scared.

At the time of his retirement, the department had 1,700 employees and was responsible for the administration and oversight of 22,000 acres of county parks, 16 county golf courses, county beaches, and 37 swimming pools. He was a thoughtful, caring man. At new employee orientation meetings, he frequently said "enjoy your job, but if you don't like working with people, you're in the wrong business." With Johnson it did not matter whether you were a janitor, vice president, or elected official, he treated everybody the same, with warmth, sincerity, respect and dignity. He made all these around him feel important. Some years after he retired, a former colleague ran into him at the Senior Center at Arcadia Park: "Norm was a volunteer helping senior citizens with their income tax preparations. Norm was doing what he loved to do -- helping people. This is the Norm Johnson that I had the opportunity to know and admire."

Johnson took the leadership role in developing Whittier Narrows and Bonelli regional parks and Castaic Lake and Recreation Area. He also was instrumental in starting the first Underwater Instructor Certification Course and the first SCUBA Instructions course in the nation. In addition to playgrounds and swimming pools, Johnson wanted residents to have access to senior centers, nature centers, cultural arts centers, and large recreational facilities that included public golf courses, camping boating and fishing. During his administration, the county's first equestrian, bike and hiking trails were established. Johnson's enthusiasm for recreational sports was manifested in his leadership role in developing the Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation and persuading the Board of Supervisors to fund an executive director's position for it.

 

 

In addition to his direct contributions at the county, Johnson was a catalyst who encouraged suburban municipalities in Los Angeles County to establish park and recreation departments, working with them on land acquisition and development. He also took an active role in encouraging the state to participate in park and recreation acquisition programs.

 

 

He gained national recognition for his endeavors and leadership in conservation efforts and was considered by his associates as one of the top parks and recreation administrators in the country. He was president of the American Institute of Park Executives and involved in multiple other professional organizations.

 

 

His retirement as director marked the end of his first full-time career, but he promptly initiated a second which was dedicated to serving county retirees. Johnson was an elected member of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) Board of Investments for 20 years. He served as chairman of the Board of Investments for 7 years, and was recognized for his leadership and for his support of increased cost-of-living benefits and improvements in the health insurance programs for county retirees. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Retired Employees of Los Angeles County (RELAC) for over 25 years. He was president for 3 years, vice-president and secretary of this organization of over 24,000 retirees which provided services and support for retired employees. His dynamic leadership greatly benefited and assisted retired employees. A colleague on the LACERA Board observed:

 

As chairman of the Board of Investments, Norm has built professionalism within our Boards by making experience and background a must for appointed members, and upgrading training for elected members. In the investment area, rates of return have been outstanding and noteworthy during his term of office -- over a billion dollars toward the unfunded liability of the system in the last nine years! He should especially be acknowledged for his support of increased cost-of-living benefits and health insurance programs for our retirees.

 

 

In 2000, the County Board of Supervisors renamed the swimming facilities at Arcadia County Park, Norman S. Johnson Aquatic Center. His son observed that "he was one of those rare people who had the opportunity to do what he believed in. Sports and recreation were an avocation for him. He had a deep passion for the field."

Source:  
de la Garza, Bill (2005) Norman Johnson mourned: Leader of county parks, LACERA, RELAC Relac, October.