Johnson Family

rosalyndoe · Post by **rosalyndoe** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:07 pm

How are the Johnsons related - AP Johnson, Herbert Johnson, SC Johnson?
thanks

jlesshafft · Post by **jlesshafft** » Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:22 pm

Try wikipedia. Search for Herbert Johnson.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:36 pm

S C Johnson founded Johnson Wax. His grandson, Herbert Johnson built Wingspread. A P Johnson was unrelated to S C and Herbert.

Mark Hertzberg · Post by **Mark Hertzberg** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:25 pm

As Roderick Grant points out, SC (Samuel Curtis) Johnson founded the company popularly known as "Johnson Wax." He had a son, H.F. Johnson. HF's son, H.F. Johnson Jr. hired Wright, and became a friend and patron of the architect. HF Jr. had two children, Sam and Karen. Sam succeeded him as head of the company. He died in May, 2004. Karen loved growing up in Wingspread, and wanted Wright to design a home for her. She and her-then husband Willard Keland commissioned the Keland House in Racine, which was designed in 1954.

One of Sam's four children, Dr. Fisk Johnson, now heads the consumer products division ("SC Johnson - A Family Product"). He announced the hiring of Norman Foster, last fall, for the company's newest building. It's described in a blog on wrightinracine.com

Mark Hertzberg

rosalyndoe · Post by **rosalyndoe** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:20 am

Thanks all for the info. I was wondering about AP Johnson. Thanks for the clarification.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:45 pm

Albert P, a wealthy insurance executive, commissioned FLW for two projects, one of which was built, a lakeside house at Delevan (87 in Storrer's book). The massive textile block project for Death Valley was to have been a retreat for AP's health. He didn't build FLW's version, but did construct a 32000 sf house which somehow ended up known as Death Valley Scotty's Castle, though no one seems to know just how that happened. Scotty was a bit of a con man. Another Johnson, Arthur M., commissioned the National Insurance Co. building, a project of 1924, which, had the glass curtain-wall structure been built, would have advanced commercial architecture at least 25 years. I would place it in the top ten unbuilt projects of FLW's career.