PRESCOTT K. JOHNSON (1930- )

Prescott K. Johnson began his YMCA career part-time in 1954 while earning a degree at Springfield College. Over the course of his 36 years with the Y, he made significant contributions to both the organization’s ongoing health and physical education programs, as well as its international programs.

Johnson was born in Norwood, Mass. and raised in Belfast, Maine. After earning his undergraduate degree in physical education from the University of Maine in 1952, he served as a lieutenant in the United States Army both in the U.S. and Korea. He returned to Massachusetts in 1954 to pursue his graduate degree at Springfield College. While attending Springfield, Johnson worked part-time at the Westfield YMCA in Westfield, Mass. After completing his degree, Johnson spent the next year as Associate Physical Director in Westfield, followed by three years as Physical Director. During his time in Westfield, Johnson was active in leadership roles within the Association of Secretaries, a western Massachusetts YMCA professional organization. He was also an important catalyst in training and certification, especially as it related to competitive swimming officials in the area.

In 1960, Johnson received a John R. Mott Fellowship award that led him to Ohio State University, where he completed his doctorate in physical education before joining the YMCA International Committee as a Fraternal Secretary in 1962. He served on the committee’s staff of the South American Federation of YMCAs in Montevideo, Uruguay, for the next decade, in the roles of physical education specialist and coordinator of the physical education curriculum. He also taught in the Instituto Tecnico, a YMCA training college for South/Central America and Mexico.

During his ten years in Latin America, Johnson traveled extensively, consulting and training YMCA staff in 13 countries on physical education programming. He was also active in local and national training symposia for both the YMCA and governmental physical education bodies. He has written several textbooks used by YMCAs and national, as well as international, physical education training institutes. Johnson has also published monthly technical papers relating to the fields of health, physical education, fitness, sports, recreation, and aquatics.

Johnson received the Robert-Gulick Memorial award in 1971. He served as Metro Physical Education Director in Milwaukee, Wis., from 1974 to 1981, followed by four years as a national consultant in health and physical education (HPE) in San Mateo, Calif. He spent the years between 1985 and 1990 as the metro HPE consultant in New York, N.Y.

Johnson played an active role in the organization of the World Fellowship of YMCA Retirees (WFYR). He served as the WFYR’s first president in 1997, and continues his service as chairperson. Johnson served as president of the Grand Canyon chapter of the North American Fellowship of YMCA Retirees from 1997 to 2000.

Through his close relationship with international YMCAs, as well as his personal acquaintances within the organization, particularly those in Latin America, Johnson has been able to spread the Y’s philosophy to countless numbers of people throughout the world during his distinguished career.