Alumnus and Trustee Earl Johnson has done more than witness the many changes that have taken place at Troy University over the past three decades – he has played a role in many of them.

Johnson, a 1970 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in economics and the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2008, has served as mayor of the City of Andalusia since 2000 and has consistently demonstrated a commitment to service to the community and his alma mater.

In 2015, Johnson was named to the Troy University Board of Trustees, where he is a member of the Executive Committee, the Finance Committee and the Institutional Advancement Committee and Chair of the External Affairs Committee. However, his leadership within the University well precedes his appointment to the Board.

Johnson was a charter member and past president of TROY’s Covington County Alumni Chapter and has served as Co-Chair of the University’s Planned Giving Council and founding president of the TROY Shield Society, a member and General Counsel for the University’s Alumni Association Board of Directors, and a member of the Troy University Foundation Board of Directors.

“Serving is just a way to pay back all that Troy University has done for me,” Johnson said. “TROY provided me with a good education that enabled me to get accepted into law school and be successful there and get started in life. The Johnson family has a long connection with Troy University, dating back to the days when it was Troy State Teachers College. My mother and brother both got their degrees at TROY, and I have several cousins who went to TROY. There is a strong family connection.”

Johnson also credited the leadership of TROY as an inspiration for his continued involvement with the University through the years.

“The leadership that Dr. Hawkins has provided as Chancellor is inspiring, and I’ve had great friends, like Coach Larry Blakeney, who have done so much to move the University forward,” he said. “It just makes me so proud to see what TROY has become – a major university.”

Perhaps one of his most visible contributions to the Troy Campus was the renovation of the University’s main quad in the early 2000s. Johnson was a driving force behind the renovation project, serving as the originator and the chair for the Quad Revitalization Committee.

“Earl reached out to me about an overhaul of the Quad,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., TROY’s Chancellor. “He believed we needed a focal point for campus, much like Harvard Yard or Denny Chimes in Tuscaloosa. His vision was complemented by the plan for the quad originally developed by the Olmsted Brothers in the 1930s. Earl Johnson’s leadership and generosity was key in bringing to fruition the beautiful quad our students and alumni enjoy today.”

Johnson’s vision for the quad included a Trojan Warrior statue that would be created by another TROY alumnus from Covington County, Larry Strickland. Johnson believed the statue would serve as that much-needed focal point for generations of TROY students and alumni.

Today, the pedestrian quad serves as a gathering place, as well as a thoroughfare for students making their way to and from classes. Large, shaded sidewalks encircle the quad with walkways leading to the Trojan Warrior statue at its center, providing a popular spot for photos following graduation ceremonies.

“I truly believe that the quad project was the starting point that helped turn the University into the beautiful campus it is today,” Johnson said. “The Trojan statue is something unique to TROY and I think it provides a good point of connection for the public and for prospective students. When they see that Trojan, they immediately associate that with Troy University and it provides students with a point of pride, something that they can connect with as Trojans.”

More recently, Johnson, alongside Troy University First Lady Mrs. Janice Hawkins, has been involved in the effort to beautify the University’s lagoon, adjacent to the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park.

“Troy University is considered by many to be Alabama’s most beautiful campus, and Earl Johnson has played a key role in that,” Dr. Hawkins said. “When completed, the Lagoon project, like the quad before it, will be a beautiful addition to our campus and a source of pride for our students and alumni.”

Johnson also has played a major role in the advancement of Troy University athletics. When plans were set in place to move to NCAA Division I athletics, Johnson served on the committee tasked with raising money to support the move.

“I felt like the move to Division I athletics was the right thing to do for our University,” Johnson said. “There were a lot of people at the time that weren’t sure about that decision, but I think time has proven that it was the right decision to make.”

Johnson is the Founding Chairman of the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame Board of Advisors. Since its inception in 2012, the TROY Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 89 distinguished individuals for their outstanding accomplishments or contributions in the field of athletics. He also presented Troy University with the memorial Trojan monument located in the atrium of Trojan Arena.

“I was truly honored when Dr. Hawkins asked me to head the Sports Hall of Fame Board of Advisors,” he said. “It is a real pleasure to serve in that capacity as we honor so many tremendous athletes and those who have meant so much to the history of athletics at TROY. I think our annual banquet and the way we honor those individuals is better than any others I’ve seen.”

Johnson earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law and was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1974. He has been continuously engaged in private practice in Andalusia since 1974.

He and his wife Sylvia are the proud parents of two daughters, Laura Elizabeth and Kimberly Anne, and grandparents of three granddaughters and one grandson.

“Earl Johnson’s leadership has been a tremendous asset for Troy University, the City of Andalusia and the State of Alabama,” Dr. Hawkins said. “He serves for the right reasons and has dedicated himself to making his University and his community better, both today and in the future.”