Clement Dixon Johnston Papers,
Scope and Content
Johnston's papers include correspondence, speeches, letterbooks, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, diaries, photographs, and memorabilia from his local and national business, political, and military careers. The majority of the collection consists of subject files (especially Johnston's service with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and foreign aid work) and correspondence.
Dates
- Creation: 1939 - 1979
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1942 - 1962
Creator
- Johnston, Clement Dixon, 1895-1979 (Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from Clement Dixon Johnston Papers must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Biographical Note
Clement Dixon Johnston (1895-1979), a native of Louisville, Kentucky, graduated from Centre College in 1916. He began a career in business and public affairs in 1926 when he founded the Roanoke (Virginia) Public Warehouse. Johnston served at various times as president of the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce (1934), deputy director of the U.S. Office of Civil Defense Planning (1947-1948), president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1954-1955), and special representative of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee to study the foreign aid program in Southeast Asia (1956-1967). In 1960, he served as president of the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce.
During World War I, Johnston served as an Infantry Captain and Company Commander in the Panama Canal Zone. He retained reserve status until accepting a World War II assignment. He was Warehouse Officer for the Army Ordinance Field Service for nearly three years. Johnston completed his war service in China as Ordinance Supply Officer and Staff Quartermaster for "Z" forces under General Stillwell.
Full Extent
19 Cubic Feet (19 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection contains correspondence, speeches, scrapbooks, diaries, photographs, and other memorabilia from Johnston's tenure and local and national politics and business.
Arrangement
The collection is in its original order.
Boxes 1-9 and 12 include subject files in alphabetical order. Boxes 9-11 contain speeches from local and national events. Boxes 13-16 include correspondence, arranged chronologically. Box 17 contains military materials, honors and awards, and photographs. Box 18 includes publications. Boxes 18-19 contains scrapbooks.
Location
Please note: This collection is in off-site storage and requires 2-3 days notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections for more information.
Acquisition Information
The Clement Dixon Johnston Papers were donated to Virginia Tech University Libraries in 1982.
Processing Information
The Clement Dixon Johnston Papers is in its original order. An box-level inventory was created after the donation and materials were later moved to larger boxes. The inventory was used to create this finding aid in January 2011.
- Title
- A Guide to the Clement Dixon Johnston Papers, 1939-1979 (Bulk 1942-1962)
- Status
- Completed
- Subtitle
- A Collection in Special Collections
- Author
- Special Collections Staff
- Date
- © 2001 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univeristy. All rights reserved.
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu