Dedication ceremony held at Johnson Hall in honor of Veteran's Day

Posted: Nov 10, 2011

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s historic residence hall named after the late Jack Johnson—an alumnus and World War II hero—was re-dedicated today in a Veteran’s Day ceremony attended by several fellow members of Johnson’s 100th Infantry Battalion.

 

Johnson Hall, originally built in 1958, closed its doors in Fall 2010 to undergo a $6.7 million reconstruction project that included a redesign of its student rooms, bathrooms, public areas, exterior and basement. The modernized 196-bed, three-story building reopened this Fall 2011 and includes new features that will provide students with a supportive living and learning environment in which they can successfully pursue their academic dreams.

 

Johnson Hall was named after John Alexander Johnson, Jr. (1914-1944) who was an active student leader during his collegiate career at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He graduated in 1935 with degrees in business and economics. Johnson was called to active duty with the National Guard in 1940 and was one of the few non-Nisei members of the famous 100th Battalion. He was killed in action during the Battle of Cassino, a pivotal and costly series of battles waged by Allied forces with the goal of breaking through German lines and seizing Rome.

 

Among the event’s special guests were Elizabeth Toulon, widow of the late John Alexander Johnson, Jr., along with several veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, who just returned from Washington, D.C., after receiving Congressional Gold Medals.

 

UH Mānoa’s oldest residence facility, Johnson Halls A and B were constructed in 1958 and 1962 at a cost of $897,000.  With its reopening, the majority of the nearly 4,000 Mānoa campus housing units are either new or newly renovated. UH Mānoa is currently housing a record-high number of students on campus.

 

For more information on UH Mānoa’s Veterans Affairs services, visit: http://studentaffairs.manoa.hawaii.edu/veterans/.