James R. Johnson, 92, former Dean of the School of Fine Arts and Professor of Art History at the University of Connecticut, died peacefully on Oct. 8 at Cove’s Edge Skilled Nursing in Damariscotta surrounded by loving family.
A great storyteller, he also cherished music and was a gifted pianist, playing frequently for family and friends. He was a natural gentleman and a scholar.
A native of Pennsylvania, he graduated from Harvard College in 1941, and received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1960. In the interim he served four years in the U.S. Army during WWII, and later continued his studies in France, enrolling at the Sorbonne and photographing European art and architecture.
In 1949, LIFE Magazine commissioned him to photograph the Chateaux of the Loire and the Gardens of Versailles. It was during this expedition that James and his New York fiancée, Ida McCabe, were married in Paris, Nov. 19, 1949, remaining in Paris until the summer of 1950.
He accomplished a major project in the spring of 1950, photographing the 12th century stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral, achieving eye-level details of these famous windows. The photographs later became the subject of his Ph.D. dissertation at Columbia University, and of his book, The Radiance of Chartres, published by Random House and Phaidon Press. They also appeared as a cover story in TIME Magazine for the Christmas issue of 1951.
After completing his studies at Columbia, he and his wife moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was appointed Assistant Professor of Art History at Western Reserve University. In 1958 he joined the Cleveland Museum of Art as Associate Curator of Education, later becoming Curator of Art History and Education at the Museum.
In 1972, the Johnsons, now with three young boys, moved to Storrs, Conn. where he was named Dean of the School of Fine Arts and Professor of Art History at the University of Connecticut. He served as Dean from 1972 to 1978, and then continued to teach until his retirement in 1986. In retirement, the Johnsons divided their time between Storrs and their summer home in Waldoboro, until they moved into the Schooner Cove retirement community in Damariscotta in 2004. In May, 2008, they moved next door to Chase Point Assisted Living.
The James R. Johnson Art History Award was established in 1986 with annual awards to outstanding undergraduate Art History majors at the University of Connecticut. The Johnsons have also contributed to other scholarships and activities in the School of Fine Arts.
He was a member of the College Art Association, the Society of Architectural Historians, the Mediaeval Academy of America, and the Royal Society of Art in London. He lectured at Harvard University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery in Washington, and the National Gallery in Stockholm. He was national Secretary-Treasurer of the American Society for Aesthetics, and a Councilor of the Mediaeval Academy of America.
He is survived by his wife Ida M. Johnson; three sons, David R. Johnson of Scottsdale, Ariz., Eric M. Johnson and wife of Portland, and Ethan W. Johnson and wife of Eastlake, Ohio, and three grandchildren.
A concert and gathering in memory of James R. Johnson, 2 p.m., Sun., Oct. 12 in the library of Schooner Cove retirement community in Damariscotta.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the University of Connecticut Foundation (put in the memo line, The James R. Johnson Art History Award). Mail to: UConn Foundation, 2390 Alumni Drive, Unit 3206, Storrs, CT 06269.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care and direction of the Strong Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 612 Main St., Damariscotta.