Juanita J. Johnson Collection
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Oral history interview with Juanita J. Johnson
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Primarily documents Juanita Johnson's service in the WAC (Women's Army Corps) from 1952 to 1954 and her subsequent education and career in teaching. Johnson provides a brief overview of her childhood, her reasons for not becoming a nurse, turning down a nursing scholarship, her memories of WWII, and the death of President Roosevelt. She also discusses attending Meharry Medical College on a scholarship, her difficulty finding employment as a dental hygienist, and in turn enlisting in the WAC. " Johnson discusses the physical activity during basic training at Fort Lee, New Jersey; serving in the newly integrated WACs;" and working in the dental clinic at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, including the daily routine. She recalls a commanding officer's negative opinion of women in the service, her own dislike for the service, her displeasure at not being able to travel much, and her frequent trips home. " Johnson discusses returning to school on the GI Bill after her discharge from the WAC and the educational opportunities the military provided her. She mentions attending both Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte and Albany State College in Georgia; meeting and marrying her first husband; and receiving her bachelor's degree in elementary education. She also describes teaching in Georgia; receiving her master's degree from the University of Georgia; meeting and marrying her second husband; and receiving her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
