Abbott L. Johnson papers

Abbott Livingstone Johnson II, manufacturer and Muncie Airport developer, was born in Muncie, Indiana on June 15, 1899 to John Edgar Johnson, Sr. and Winifred Smith Johnson. His grandfather Abbott L. Johnson I was one of the founders of Muncie's Warner Gear Company. Abbott Johnson attended McKinley School and Central High School in Muncie. During the summers of his adolescence, Johnson also attended Culver Naval School where he received the title of first sergeant in the Navy. After graduating from high school Johnson studied engineering administration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for four years. In 1925 Johnson left MIT and married Elizabeth Gregory Johnson; later that year he completed his degree in engineering administration at Harvard. Johnson moved back to Muncie in 1926, and his daughter, Joanne, was born in 1928.

Upon returning to Muncie, Johnson began working as an assistant general manager at Glascock Brothers until the business closed. From there, he went on to work at Warner Gear, starting out in the engineering department and later moving to the service department. When Warner Gear joined with Borg and Beck to form Borg Warner in 1928, Johnson became one of the directors of the company. After the death of the man in charge of the Warner Electric Company (Dick Stone), the company changed its name to Warner Machine Products and Johnson managed the business from 1948 to 1950. Johnson also ran operations at a business outside of Muncie, the Asbestos Manufacturing Company.

In the late 1920's, when an aviation committee formed in Muncie, Johnson was appointed chairman. Johnson had an avid interest in aviation and was heavily involved in the development of the Muncie Airport, which was named Johnson Field in his honor. Johnson went on to serve as president of Muncie Airport, Inc., the Tri-City Airport Board, and the Delaware County Board of Aviation Commissioners.