Department of
Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering
US Naval Academy, Mail Stop 11d
590 Holloway Road
Annapolis, MD 21402-5042

BSME, Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (NROTC), 1955
MSME, Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 1962
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 1965

1955-57 Engineering Division Officer, U.S.S. Kearsarge, CVA-33
1957-59 Instructor (Ltjg) U. S. Naval Academy
1959-64 Instructor and Graduate Student in M.E., Purdue University
1964-70 Associate Professor, Engineering Dept., U. S. Naval Academy
1970-99 Professor, Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering Dept., U. S. Naval Academy

2000- Professor Emeritus, NAOE Department

Dr. Johnson served as the Director of the Hydromechanics Laboratory at the U.S. Naval Academy from l976 to 1987. From l975 to 1986 he was also the Naval Sea Systems Command Professor of Hydromechanics. He began working on the development of the towing tanks for Rickover Hall in l966 and was the full time project manager for the Hydromechanics Laboratory from 1972-75. He was Program Director of Ocean Engineering from 1996-1999

He was chairman of the 18th American Towing Tank Conference in 1977 and co-edited its Proceedings. He served as the U. S. Representative on the ITTC (International Towing Tank Conference) Information Committee from 1975-1984 during which time he edited and published the ITTC Catalogue of Facilities. From 1985-1999 Dr. Johnson served as chairman of the ITTC Symbols and Terminology (SaT) Group. His group published the 1987, 1990, and 1993 versions of the ITTC Standard Symbols and Terminology List and has published the 1996 and 1999 Versions on the World Wide Web.

Dr Johnson is a Fellow of SNAME where he served on the Executive Committee as Chair of the Electronic Media Committee from 2000-2004. He has been Chair of Ad Hoc Panel #12 on Fishing Vessel Operations and Safety and is currently co-chair of Panel O-49, Working Vessel Operations and Safety. He also serves on the steering committee for PNA 2000. He served two 2-year terms on the Council of the American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE). He was chairman of the ASNE Scholarship Committee from 1983-1989 and has served on the ASNE Journal Committee., He has been a member of ASME, ASEE (Engineering Economics Division), and is a life member of the U. S. Naval Institute. He was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal in 1994 and 1996.  In 1998 he was given the U.S. Naval Academy Service Excellence Award and the Navy Superior Civilian Service Medal. Since retirement he has been awarded a second Superior Civilian Service Medal in 2000 and the USCG Meritorious Public Service Award in 2002 for his volunteer work for the Marine Investigation Board on the sinking of the fishing vessel Arctic Rose. He is listed in the current editions of Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.

Dr. Johnson has taught courses and done research in many fields including fluid mechanics, hydrodynamics, naval architecture, ocean wave mechanics, time series analysis, brain wave analysis, and engineering economic analysis. He has been advisor or co-advisor for nineteen Trident Scholars, four of whom were awarded the Harry E. Ward Trident Scholar Prize. He received an American Society for Engineering Education Excellence in Engineering Teaching Award in 1970.

Click here for list of journal & conference papers.

Dr. Johnson has served as Education Chairman, Finance Chairman, Chairman of the Council on Ministries and Co-Chairman with his wife Dotty of the Worship committee at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington D.C. They are currently members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis

He was Commodore of the Maryland Capital Yacht Club in 1992 and was the Catalina 27 High Point Champion and Cruising One-Design Division Champion for the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association in l985, l986, 1987 and 1990. He served as President of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association during 1990 and was the International Catalina 27 Association Editor for the national Catalina magazine, Mainsheet, from 1993-1997.