By MEGAN GARNETT
Student Reporter
Northwestern Oklahoma State University lost a beloved friend and mentor Tuesday when Dr. Clarence Johnson, of Medford passed away. Johnson, 68, an adjunct instructor of English taught at many schools over a span of more than thirty years. His career ended at Northwestern, the university he once attended, as his father had before him.
“He was so well educated and exposed to many different types of literature… He could talk to me about something from Shakespeare—and he could quote from the plays by memory—and then go over to Dr. Adams and start talking about Mark Twain, and then move on to Dr. Lane and talk about Shelley. His knowledge was massive,” said Assistant Professor of English, Jennifer Page, Ph.D.
According to his colleges, not only did Johnson possess great knowledge, but creativity as well.
“Dr. Johnson was definitely his own person. He seemed to have such a variety of interests. He had published some volumes of poetry, he was an artist and he liked to use leftover materials to create some of his pieces,” said Assistant Professor of English, Kathleen M. Earnest, Ph.D.
Johnson had some of his artworks displayed at the local Graceful Arts Gallery and Studios.
“His work was repurposed, reused, and alive as he visualized it. I have had Clarence’s artwork here three times and he didn’t really care if anything sold. He just wanted the world to see it,” said Jo Decker, Gallery Director. “He was a very dedicated teacher and artist and found both as ways to express and get his vision out there via words and via art, to let everyone know how he felt and what he saw. He had an enthusiastic view of life. Every day was an adventure.”
Faculty members also said Johnson was not only respected and loved by his colleagues, but his students as well.
“Students say that he really caused them to think in the classroom because he would ask such unusual questions that they weren’t expecting, so those questions caused them to really think about a piece of literature or a topic in a different way,” said Earnest.
Johnson’s legacy will live on in the impressions he made on everyone around him.
“His presence was so very big. He was a wonderful friend and excellent colleague. He was truly kind and his love of teaching was extremely inspirational. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to have known him,” said Page, who hosted a memorial service last Friday for Johnson.
She spoke highly of his attributes as an individual as well as professor. According to Page, “he just knew when a person needed a word of encouragement or a silly trinket or a personal poem. I just thought it was very kind of him that he could think of others in that way. He was such a genuine person that working with him, hearing him as you walk down the halls, past his classroom, hearing him talking about literature, hearing him sharing his favorite recipe for queso dip, it was all so distinctly him. He didn’t have a teacherly persona. He was just intelligent. I feel like I’m a better person for having known him. That sounds really cliché but just from watching how extremely kind he was and how attentive and thoughtful, that’s impressive. And it gives me something to aspire to.”
As per the wish of Johnson’s family, they ask “that in lieu of flowers, donations in Clarence’s name be made to one’s local library or school — for education is the gift he wanted for everyone,” as stated in Enid News.
Matt Barnes, Director of the Academic Success Center and friend of Johnson said, “As Clarence would say, ‘Once again into the breach.’”