Johnson, James P. (James Peter), 1929-

James P. Johnson was born in Yankton, South Dakota, on June 2, 1930. He grew up in Muleshoe and Lubbock, Texas. He left Texas to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, graduating in 1952. That same year he went into the Marine Corps. As a jet pilot, he served a ten-month tour of combat duty in Korea. Discharged from the Marines in 1956, he moved to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado Law School. He later was a prosecuting attorney in the 8th Judicial District and a municipal judge in Ault and Fort Collins. First elected to Congress in 1973, Mr. Johnson represented Colorado's 4th District for eight years as a member of the Republican party. He served on the Agriculture and Interior Committees. In 1975, he was one of the thirteen members of Congress chosen to investigate the Central Intelligence Agency. After retiring from Congress in 1980, Mr. Johnson returned to Fort Collins as an attorney in private practice.

From the guide to the Papers of Congressman James P. Johnson, 1969-1980, 1972-1980, (Colorado State University Archives and Special Collections)