Jerome Johnson and Lee Shaffron Johnson

Lee Shaffron Johnson Endowed Scholarship

In 1985, Jerome “Jerry” Johnson (JD ’35) established the Lee Shaffron Johnson Endowed Scholarship in honor of his wife for their 50th wedding anniversary. That year was also the 50th anniversary of Jerry’s graduation from DePaul’s College of Law, and Lee Shaffron Johnson had spent many evenings waiting for her future husband in the DePaul law library.

Johnson’s law career, which spanned eight decades, almost never happened. The Great Depression hit while he was a student in the College of Law, and Johnson thought he would have to drop out to save his father the tuition cost. When he informed the dean of the College of Law, William F. Clarke, of his intention, Dean Clarke allowed Jerry to finish his law degree on a dean’s scholarship. The generous gifts Johnson and his wife would make to the College of Law more than made up for his tuition bills. His scholarship has helped generations of DePaul law students facing similar struggles.

Following his graduation in 1935, Johnson had his own general practice in Chicago for several years. But he took a break from his practice from 1942 to 1945 to serve in the Navy during World War II. While serving the country, Johnson was stationed in the Philippines and Australia and earned the rank of lieutenant junior grade. After the war, he moved his family to Rockland County, N.Y., where he opened a practice focused on real estate law. He continued this practice for the rest of his career.

Even in his 90s, Johnson remained dedicated to practicing law. When he moved into an assisted-living facility, he had a room there for an office and a secretary. “People joked, ’He’ll practice law until the day he dies,’" his son, Ron, said. They were right. Real estate documents prepared by Johnson were signed in his office the day before he died.

In recognition of his long and prestigious career, DePaul’s College of Law conferred an honorary degree to Johnson posthumously in 2008.