Wyatt Thomas Johnson, Jr., also known as Tom Johnson, was born in Macon, Georgia, on September 30, 1941. He started his career in journalism in 1958, while still attending Lanier High School in Macon, in 1958. In 1965, he accepted an appointment from President Lyndon B. Johnson to be a White House Fellow. He then served as an assistant press secretary to the President in 1966, as deputy press secretary in 1967, as a special assistant to the President in 1968, then as an executive assistant in 1969 and 1970. After his time at the White House, he served as executive vice president and director of the Texas Broadcasting Corporation, KTBC radio and television in Austin, Texas. From 1977 to 1980, he was president of the Los Angeles Times, and publisher there from 1980 to 1989, and then chief executive officer and vice chairman of the Times Mirror Company, from 1989 to 1990. From 1990 to 1998, he was president of the Cable News Network (CNN), then served as CNN's chairman and chief executive officer from 1998 until his retirement in 2001.
From the description of Johnson, W. Thomas, 1941- (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10600808
