Wallace J.S. Johnson (January 29, 1913 – August 12, 1979) was Mayor of Berkeley, California. A moderate Republican, he served two terms from 1963 to 1971 during the most politically turbulent time in Berkeley's history. Johnson was an engineer by training, a graduate of Caltech. He held several patents.
Biography
Johnson was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa on January 29, 1913. In 1947, he founded Up-Right, Inc., a scaffolding company in Berkeley. He was Mayor of Berkeley, California as a moderate Republican from 1963 to 1971. Besides presiding over the often tumultuous city council meetings of the 1960s, one of his most notable achievements was leading the effort to have the tracks of the proposed BART line through Berkeley constructed underground instead of elevated as had been the original plan. 83% of Berkeley voters voted to increase local taxes to have the tracks underground.
He died on August 12, 1979 in Berkeley, aged 66.