Obituary: Franklin Johnson
Franklin Johnson, a former USTA President, past ITF Board member and ITF Honorary Life Counsellor passed away on 15 September aged 87.
Johnson served on the ITF Board from 2005-2011, during which time he was ITF Vice President (from 2005-2009) and also served on the ITF’s Junior Competitions Committee, Finance and Audit Committee and chaired the Joint Media Commission.
He was also a member of the Grand Slam Committee from 2003 - 2006.
ITF President David Haggerty reflected fondly on Johnson’s impact on the ITF.
"When I was first appointed to the USTA Board my first meeting was the last meeting of Fanklin's presidency, which was my orientation,” said Haggerty. “I learnt much from Franklin over the years and appreciate his many contributions to the ITF and in recognition of that his ITF Honorary Life Counsellor appointment."
Born in San Diego, California, Johnson was a champion tennis player, having won four USTA National Championships, the NCAA Championships, and was in 2011, inducted into the South California Tennis Association’s Hall of Fame with Billie Jean King.
He served on the USTA Board for 11 years, starting with two terms as a Director at Large, followed by one term as the Secretary-Treasurer, one as First Vice President and then as Chairman of the Board and President for 2005-06. As Chairman of the Board and President, he oversaw significant strides in the landscape of tennis, from the emphasis on public parks to the renaming of the USTA National Tennis Centre in honour of Hall of Famer Billie Jean King.
Johnson was the Chairman of the USTA Past President’s Committee, a member of the board’s International Committee, and served on the Board of Directors of the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation and on the Executive Committee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
In his 10 years as a member of the USTA Board of Directors, Johnson became the first-ever Chair of the Budget and Investment Committee and also served as Chair of the Compensation Committee. Prior to his commitments as the USTA Chairman of the Board and President, he was the Board Liaison to the Multicultural Participation Committee and the Advisory Group on Committees, as well as the Board Division Leader for the Professional Player Division.
Johnson also thrived outside of tennis, enjoying a 36-year career with the international accounting firm Price Waterhouse LLP, serving as the Managing Partner of the firm’s entertainment industry practice. In that capacity, he oversaw the balloting for the Academy Awards for 22 years. He then served as a business consultant and expert witness for entertainment industry litigation and also served on the boards of two public companies.
Johnson received a B.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. degree from UCLA. Along with wife Anne, he had two children, David and Carolyn.