The MHA program has lost a distinguished friend and leader, George Johnson, program director, 1980-2000.
The effects of Johnson’s vision and leadership at the University of Minnesota were immense. During his 20 years with the MHA program, he attracted a top-flight faculty and student body and established relationships with practicing professionals in the community. His relationship with the healthcare industry and close ties with alumni was a model for higher education. More than 1,000 students earned advanced degrees under his watch.
Johnson was instrumental in working with the MHA Alumni Association/Foundation on fundraising. One of his crowning moments came during a fundraising campaign that generated a $9 million bequest from Howard Johnson ‘54 (no relation to Johnson), one of the largest the University had ever received up to that time. To this day, funds from this effort support student scholarships and high-quality student services that define the program.
As department chair, Johnson forged a partnership with the Carlson School of Management where the program resided from 1997-2005. Here the program played a vital role in developing leaders for the healthcare field and placed the Carlson School into Minnesota’s healthcare marketplace.
Johnson was a graduate of the Minnesota MHA program and studied under James A. Hamilton, program founder. He earned a PhD in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1974.
Posted by Mona Rath
