JOSEPH BLAINE JOHNSON was born in Helsingborg, Sweden. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he went to work for the Bryant Chucking Gear Company, starting as a draftsman and rising to become general manager before his retirement in 1949. He also served as vice president of the Springfield Cooperative Savings and Loan Association, director of the First National Bank of Springfield, and director of the Lovejoy Tool Company of Springfield. He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1945 and to the Vermont Senate in 1947. He then served two terms as Lieutenant Governor before receiving his party’s nomination for governor. As governor, Johnson sponsored legislation supporting increased financial support for the University of Vermont. He also facilitated Vermont’s inclusion in the federal interstate highway system. After serving two terms as governor, he retired from public life but remain director of the Lovejoy Tool Company.