In
1918 Johnson was elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives as a
Democrat, serving from 1919 to 1923. During this period, he developed a friendship with
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of Navy and future
President of the United States, and his family. Their children played together. In
1939, Johnson won the race for
Governor of Mississippi. A supporter of
New Deal measures, Johnson presided over numerous progressive reforms during his tenure. Johnson died in office in 1943. His son,
Paul B. Johnson Jr., was serving in the Marines in the Pacific during World War II at the time. More than 20 years later, he was elected as governor in
1963. His grandson,
Pete Johnson, was elected
state auditor in 1988.
Paul B. Johnson State Park, a
state park in Mississippi, is named after him. ==References==