James Archie “Jim” Johnson, Jr.

1912-2004

James Archie Johnson, Jr.
Image source: The Tecoan 1947 p. 110

James Archie “Jim” Johnson, Jr., contributed to the growth of East Carolina’s athletic program both by participating as an athlete between 1933 and 1937, and then working as an instructor and coach intent on reviving Pirate athletics following a period of dormancy during World War II. Throughout his life, Johnson remained a dedicated Pirate, even to the extent of running on to the playing field in Norfolk, Virginia during the 1977 Oyster Bowl game, and literally tackling, at age 65, a William and Mary ballcarrier near the goal line in an attempt to prevent him from scoring the winning touchdown against ECU. Johnson’s crowd-stunning “twelfth man on the field” tactic did not work, of course, but his spur of the moment decision to take personal action on behalf of his alma mater spoke volumes about the extent to which he was ready to throw caution to the wind and bleed purple. In 1978, one year after his sensational tackle, Johnson was inducted into the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame.

As a student athlete, Johnson, a history major, played football, baseball, and basketball. In 1935, his junior year, Johnson won the best all-around athlete trophy at ECTC. In 1940, Johnson worked as an assistant coach at Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, even while playing professional football for the Portsmouth Cubs. Three years later, he entered the Naval Aviation Physical Training program at UNC, and then worked at the University of Iowa Pre-Flight program as athletic officer and boxing instructor. He played briefly with the Iowa Seahawks, then a nationally ranked gridiron team. Before joining the faculty at ECTC, Johnson also completed a master’s degree at UNC in physical education.

In the fall of 1946, as football returned to ECTC for the first time since WWII, Johnson was hired as a faculty in physical education and assigned responsibility for coaching the team. Johnson also assisted Howard Porter in coaching the basketball team and served as head coach for the baseball team.

In 1946, the Pirate football team played as an independent, non-conference team, allowing Johnson considerable leeway in recruiting and fielding football talent. Lacking a campus stadium, the postwar Pirates practiced and played at Guy Smith Stadium, a public facility in West Greenville. Even with only two weeks of pre-season practice, Johnson’s 1946 team played well, ending the season with a 5-3-1 record including impressive home victories.

In May 1947, contrary to Johnson’s wishes, ECTC applied for and was granted trial membership in the North State Conference, and the following summer, was unanimously voted in. Johnson opposed the move because he did not feel that ECTC was ready for the transition. While enhancing ECTC’s profile, the move upped the level of competition. As a conference member, ECTC teams had to compete against more established programs at Appalachian State Teachers College, Atlantic Christian College, Catawba, Guilford, High Point, Lenoir-Rhyne, Elon, and Western Carolina Teachers College. Most disappointingly for many at ECTC, North State Conference membership meant that six star-players would be ineligible for play because they had transferred twice from other schools, a violation of conference rules. As a result, things went south in 1947, leaving the newly risen team with a 3-6 record.

In the fall of 1948, a new assistant coach, Jack Boone, was brought in to help. Nevertheless, the season was a disaster as the Pirates winless in nine contests. In December 1948, Johnson submitted his resignation, concluding his three-year run as Pirate head coach with a 7-17-1 record. While not impressive, Johnson had nevertheless contributed decisively to the revival of Pirate football following WWII. Johnson’s success in bringing ECTC football back to life was  made evident when, coinciding with his resignation announcement, Pirate Club founder Ed Rawls promised to raise $25,000 by December 25, 1948, to fund construction of a new stadium for Pirate football play. The new stadium opened the following year, just after Johnson’s departure.

Johnson went on to teach and coach in Hertford, N.C., and then at Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, before becoming the founding principal of Virginia Beach High School in 1952. He later worked as superintendent of the Appoqunimink School District in Middleton, Delaware until his retirement. After returning to Virginia Beach as a retiree, Johnson served as president of the Virginia Beach Sports Club. He was selected Sportsman of the Year in 1981, and received the Joseph Healy Memorial Award in 1984 for his outstanding service. Yet even after leaving ECC, Johnson continued to support Pirates athletics. In 1959, he was named Chief Buccaneer of the Society of Buccaneers, a men’s alumni club founded to provide support athletics. The following year, Johnson was named an outstanding Pirate booster. Johnson also went on to be a board member of the East Carolina Alumni Association, and a member of the ECC Athletic Council. By the time of his passing in 2004, he had become a legendary figure in Pirate football lore.

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1947 Tecoan, p. 110

1947 Tecoan, p. 110

Citation Information

Title: James Archie “Jim” Johnson, Jr. 

Author: John A. Tucker, PhD

Date of Publication: 7/19/2019

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