George E. Johnson Sr.: A Legacy in Black American entrepreneurship

George E. Johnson Sr., a former chemist who created Chicago-based Johnson Products Co., has died at the age of 97 in his Chicago home. His family confirmed the death. Johnson was a long-time resident of Water Tower Place and had previously lived in Glencoe.

For many years, Johnson influenced the lives of Black Americans with his company’s extensive range of products such as Afro Sheen, Classy Curl, Gentle Treatment, and Ultra Sheen. He also sponsored the popular TV dance program ‘Soul Train.’ Founded in 1954, Johnson Products Co. became a symbol of success in Black entrepreneurship, showing that Black business leaders could build significant enterprises. The company was sold in 1993.

Born in 1927 in Richton, Mississippi, Johnson moved to Chicago at age two. He started working from an early age with jobs like collecting milk bottles and shining shoes. He left high school early to work for Black-owned Fuller Products, where he gained essential experience in product formulation.

I worked my butt off and did things a young Black man didn’t do then,” Johnson shared in an interview.

After a decade with Fuller, he developed a successful hair straightening formula, leading to the founding of Johnson Products. He secured a $250 loan and launched his first product from a friend’s store.

Initially focused on products for men, the company quickly expanded its offerings. By 1958, it moved to larger premises and saw significant growth. In 1964, the company achieved its first $1 million in annual revenue, later creating the successful Afro Sheen line. The company’s sales reached $12 million in 1970 and $37 million by 1975. Johnson Products went public in 1971, becoming the first Black-owned company listed on an American stock exchange.

‘Soul Train’ received sponsorship from Johnson’s firm in 1971. This investment greatly increased the show’s popularity while providing Johnson Products with added visibility.

The show did a great deal for us; our sales tripled within a few years,” Johnson reflected in 2012.

Johnson navigated regulatory challenges, such as the FTC’s requirement to extend warning labels. These challenges impacted sales and consumer trust, yet his company remained influential into the 1980s.

The endorsement of basketball star Michael Jordan and his mother in 1985 was a highlight in the company’s promotional history. Johnson stepped down as CEO in 1989 and transferred his shares as part of a divorce settlement. The company changed hands a few times and returned to Black ownership in 2009.

Aside from leading Johnson Products, Johnson played a role in banking and served on several boards, including the Postal Service and Commonwealth Edison. He remarried his first wife before she passed away in 2019. His survivors include his third wife, Madeline Murphy Rabb, and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are being planned.

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.