House Concurrent Resolution 38

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE HIGHLY RESPECTED LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER STATE AUDITOR MR. PATRICK "PETE" JOHNSON AND EXPRESSING DEEP SYMPATHY UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, on January 20, 2025, Mississippi lost a political trailblazer, former Mississippi State Auditor and the first Republican to hold statewide office in Mississippi since Reconstruction, when Patrick "Pete" Johnson transitioned from earthly travails to life eternal much to the sadness of his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, born in Alexandria, Louisiana, on May 12, 1948, to the joy and excitement of his parents, Mr. Patrick Hayes Johnson and Wilma Pearce Johnson, Pete was raised in Jackson and graduated from Murrah High School in 1966; and

WHEREAS, after high school, he attended the University of Mississippi, where he earned a bachelors degree in business administration in 1971, went on to graduate from the Louisiana State University School of Banking of the South, and then earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Jackson School of Law in 1974; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from law school, he joined the Bank of Clarksdale as a Senior Vice President and Trust Officer, where he worked his way up the corporate and social ladder by serving as President of the Young Bankers Section of the Mississippi Bankers Association, and forming a successful financial planning firm; and

WHEREAS, his impressive business savvy garnered the attention of Governor William Allain in 1984, and resulted in his appointment as Chairman of the Mississippi Marketing Council, a major economic development agency for the state; and

WHEREAS, a mere three years after leading the Mississippi Marketing Council, Mr. Johnson declared his candidacy for the Office of State Auditor, secured the Democratic nomination and won the seat by defeating his Republican opponent; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure from 1988 to 1992, Pete was committed to removing corruption and he was so dedicated that he appointed a Committee on Reform of County Government before he officially assumed his duties; and

WHEREAS, his strategic efforts to consolidate county services, enforce uniform accounting practices and implement a simple and uniform bid process that is still used today resulted in millions of taxpayer dollars saved; and

WHEREAS, his astute financial leadership did not go unnoticed, in 1992, he was appointed by President George H.W. Bush as Mississippi's State Director of the Farmers Home Administration where he coordinated one of the largest Farm and Rural Development programs in the United States at the time; and

WHEREAS, a favorite of President Bush, Mr. Johnson was named Federal Co-Chair of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) by President George H.W. Bush, and served from 2002 through 2011, under both the Bush and Obama administrations, and has long been admired for his ability to work in a bipartisan fashion to bring about economic growth and opportunity to the eight states in the region; and

WHEREAS, a dedicated community leader, he was involved in many civic and economic organizations, including President of the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Industrial Foundation, Director of the Delta Council's Community and Industrial Development Board, Trustee of the Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, Board member of Clarksdale Presbyterian Day School, an Elder in the First Presbyterian Church, where he was active in numerous other boards and organizations; and

WHEREAS, because Pete worked hard to be fair and earnest with every citizen he encountered, he was admired by many which resulted in frequent awards and accolades; and

WHEREAS, the two awards he was most proud of were bestowed upon him by the Mississippi Chapter of the NAACP in 1987, when the organization awarded him the Goodman, Chaney, Schwerner Award for his contributions to the improvement of political power for all people, and the Dr. Aaron Henry Lifetime Service Award for outstanding statewide leadership; and

WHEREAS, in spite of all his many professional and social accolades, Pete derived the most joy from spending time with his family and friends, as he was an avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, flying airplanes and playing golf, countless hours in his workshop and loved projects with his grandchildren, nephews and friends which are conversations and lessons learned in those special moments will be treasured forever; and

WHEREAS, to cherish his legacy, he leaves his loving wife of 54 years, Margaret Birdsong Johnson; daughters, Mary Margaret and Anne Clark; sisters, Corinne, Marjorie and Nancy Johnson; and grandchildren, Pete, Matthew, Sam, Margaret and Ellen:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the life and legacy of highly respected public servant, former Mississippi State Auditor, Mr. Patrick "Pete" Johnson, and express deepest sympathy to his family for their loss.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Patrick "Pete" Johnson and to the members of the Capitol Press Corp.