US Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a nurse and American politician who represented Texas in the US House of Representatives for 30 years, has died.
Johnson’s son, Dawrence Kirk Johnson, posted his mother’s death on Facebook, stating, “I am heartbroken to share the news that my mother, Eddie Bernice Johnson, has passed away.”
“While we mourn the loss of an extraordinary woman, we celebrate her life and legacy. She will be deeply missed.”
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Johnson was born in Waca, Texas, and grew up in the segregated South.
She studied nursing at St Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, and later received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University in 1967.
She received a master’s degree in public administration from Southern Methodist University in 1976.
Johnson then began her career as the first female African American Chief Psychiatric Nurse at the VA Hospital in Dallas.
She recalled that officials at the VA hospital were shocked that she was Black after they hired her sight-unseen, which resulted in them rescinding their offer for her to live in a dorm on campus.
“Yes, it was a challenge, but it was a successful venture,” Johnson told The Dallas Morning News in 2020.
“At a young age, she witnessed and experienced the profound effects of segregation and decided she would not stay on the sidelines in the fight for justice,” Vice President Kamala Harris wrote following Johnsons’ passing.
In 1972, Johnson was elected to the Texas State House, and in 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed her as the Regional Director of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
In 1986, she was elected to the Texas State Senate.
She served in the House for three decades after becoming the first registered nurse elected to Congress and the first Black woman to chair the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
She also chaired the Congressional Black Caucus.
She left office in January after repeatedly delaying her retirement.
During her time in the House, Johnson used her committee leadership position to fight against Republican efforts to block action on climate change.
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Hosford called Johnson a fierce advocate for expanding STEM opportunities to Black and minority students.
A Legacy of Resilience
President Joe Biden, who worked in Congress with Johnson for 30 years, was among those who issued a statement following her passing.
“Throughout her life, and as the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, she was an icon and mentor to generations of public servants, through whom her legacy of resilience and purpose will endure,” he wrote.
“Eddie, or EBJ as she was widely known, led the Science Committee through some of the most productive years of its existence, including passage of the massive CHIPS and Science Act,” Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren said in a statement.
“Throughout that time, she remained steadfast in her commitment to broaden opportunities to all Americans and make our country more equitable and just. Her accomplishments as Chair of the Committee will live on for decades.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson remembered her as the most effective legislator Dallas has ever had.
“Nobody fought harder for our communities and our residents’ interests and safety. And nobody knew how to navigate Washington better for the people of Dallas,” he wrote.
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