Years: 

1899–1971

Year Hutchinson Medal awarded:

1957

Johnson was a Minnesota-based horticulturist known for his work on fruit tree breeding, especially cold-hardy apples and ornamental plants suited to the Upper Midwest.

He worked with the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and contributed to developing or popularizing cultivars that could thrive in northern climates.

His research focused on improving disease resistance and winter hardiness in trees and shrubs, which had a big impact on landscaping and fruit production in the region.

Key contributions:

He worked at the University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station (St. Paul campus) in the mid-20th century. His role was in ornamental horticulture and fruit breeding for cold climates. He wasn’t as public-facing as well-known breeders like C. G. Patten or the team behind ‘Honeycrisp,’ but he helped release or trial many hardy cultivars. 

(In many cases, his name does not appear as the sole breeder, but he was credited in internal UMN reports and horticultural society publications as the person responsible for selection, testing and distribution.)