Eddie Bernice Johnson represented the Dallas area in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 until her retirement in 2023.
- Died: December 31, 2023 (Who else died on December 31?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 88.
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Eddie Bernice Johnson’s legacy
Before beginning her political career, Johnson worked as a registered nurse for many years. She was the first Black woman to serve as Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital, just one of several notable firsts she’d log in her life. Another came when she entered political life in 1972, becoming the first Black woman from Dallas elected to political office when she won a seat in the Texas House of Representatives.
Johnson served in the Texas House for four years before President Jimmy Carter appointed her as regional director of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. She was the first Black woman to hold the role. She came back to Texas politics in 1987 and was elected to the state Senate, where she served for six years before embarking on her decades-long U.S. House career.
When Johnson began her first term representing Texas’ 30th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, she became the first registered nurse ever elected to U.S. Congress. She held that office for 30 years until her 2023 retirement, typically winning her elections in landslides. She chaired the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, and she spoke out about the need for climate action. Johnson also served on the Committee on Science and Technology, as well as the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Johnson’s advice to young people
“This is your day. You own as much of this world as everyone else. You have the freedom to think, to study, to research, to learn, and to do. Don’t let anyone take that away from you because the world is waiting for your talent. We need it.” —from a 2023 interview for Issues in Science and Technology
Tributes to Eddie Bernice Johnson
Full obituary: The Washington Post
