The Hinds County School Board and superintendents paid tribute to an alumni of the Hinds County School District, Louis L. Johnson Jr., with a Proclamation of Recognition to thank him for his accomplishments and support of the Hinds County School District.
Johnson was born to the late Lorean and Louis Lee Johnson Sr. on March 13, 1953, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was reared in Edwards, Mississippi, by his maternal grandparents, Wash and Sarah Allen. He is the eldest of two sisters, Lynda Johnson and Vivian Johnson.
Johnson graduated from Edwards Jr. High, Hinds County Agricultural High School, and Utica Junior College. In addition to his formal education, he attended Bishop College in Dallas, Texas.
Johnson has always been an avid sports fan. His mother used to tell a story about how when she came to visit from Chicago once, he was so busy playing baseball that she went to the baseball field and took the ball from the kids to get him to come home to spend quality time with the family.
He played baseball and football at Hinds AHS in Utica. With his desire to become a great baseball player, he attended Utica Junior College and Bishop College on baseball scholarships. Because of his love and deep passion for sports, he went on to coach baseball for the youth in the Edwards community in 1971. In 1973, Louis Johnson spread his love for children from the baseball diamond to the Hinds County School District. He began driving buses and remained faithful for over 48 years, retiring in 2021.
In the 1980’s with his Little League baseball teams, the Edwards Pirates played in the Little League World Series, won the Babe Ruth Tournament in North Carolina, and won a multitude of City of Jackson Little League Championships. Eventually, he saw a decrease in the interest of baseball with the youth in his community and an awesome increase in the sport of basketball, so Johnson quickly switched his focus to basketball. Before his retirement, he coached six basketball teams.
The Edwards Bulldog Boys teams have won a plethora of championships and competed on the state and national level many, many times, traveling to Indiana, Texas, Arkansas, Ohio, and Florida. Just to name a few of their honors: Numerous 1st Place City of Jackson Cartoon League Champions, State AAU Championships throughout the southeast, and several small out-of-state tournaments.
The Edwards Bulldog Girls teams have also done their share of winning. They won the State of MS AAU Basketball Tournament in 2005. In addition to Johnson’s tireless efforts to maintain six basketball teams, he has also served as assistant coach for Raymond High School and his alma mater, Hinds AHS.
On August 16, 1976, Louis Lee Johnson Jr. was sworn in as police officer for the Town of Edwards. He was appointed Chief of Police on April 4, 1979, and has served faithfully and compassionately for 38 years. Chief has received an abundance of awards and training certificates throughout his professional career: State of MS Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training, FBI Criminal Investigators Training, Home Security Familiarization, Veteran of Foreign Wars of the U.S. Loyalty Day Award, and a plethora of Certificate of Appreciation awards throughout the Edwards and Hinds County communities. A few of his greatest accomplishments of his career was the Town of Edwards declaring July 1st as Chief Louis Johnson, Jr. Day; on September 21, 2012, the Hinds County Human Resource Agency renamed the old Edwards Gymnasium as the Chief Louis L. Johnson Gymnasium; and on February 22, 2015, he was named a City of Edwards Legend by the Hinds Community College Utica Campus.
Johnson is the father of four daughters: Stephanie, Takita, Charity, and Kendreia; one son, Devin Green; and a paternal figure for his nieces, nephews, and many former players and current players.
