Laurence A. Johnson

Laurence A. Johnson was an owner of four supermarkets in Syracuse, New York. Johnson was an elderly man who was very gracious that loved to talk about patriotism. He helped his daughter Eleanor Johnson with mimeographing, mailing, and contacts. In 1951, He and his daughter had a talk with the members of the American Legion Post in Syracuse. With the help of the post Johnson and his daughter soon became a force felt throughout radio and television. He embarked on a one-man "Syracuse Crusade" in the 1950s to force television advertisers to cancel sponsorship of programs in which "suspect" actors appeared. Johnson's pressure tactics were a manifestation of McCarthyism and the Hollywood Blacklist.