Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson retired in December, 2002 with 36 years at Illinois State University. Few faculty have had the opportunity to impact as many students in their careers as Jim. In General Psychology alone, Jim taught over 15,000 undergraduates. In Theories of Personality, he taught over 1000 graduate students. Jim chaired or was second committee member for over 100 master’s theses. As a staff psychologist at the Student Counseling Center for a number of years, Jim impacted many students there as well.
"Dr. J," as Jim was affectionately known by students, devoted considerable time to students outside the classroom assisting in the Athletic Study Center, the Student Psychology Association, the Golden Key International Honour Society, and the psychology honors program. Jim’s service awards are manifold, including Teacher of the Year, Herb Sanders Advisory Award, Distinguished Psychology Alumnus, and the Stretch Miller Award from the Athletics Department. His research did not suffer, though, as he investigated parenting styles, worked on prediction of graduate performance, directed a field study for McKnight Publishing Company, and was a research consultant for reading programs.
Jim is one of the longest standing members of noon hour basketball at Horton Field House and has no plans to retire that distinction. Neither will he give up tennis or fishing with university buddies or tutoring student athletes. In fact, Jim is keeping his hand in at teaching General Psychology even now. With a daughter in the Chicago area and a son in Kansas, Jim plans to stay put “in between.”
Posted September 2004