Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 3, 1995 TAG: 9501120013
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LISA GARCIA STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Johnston, 87, who died Sunday, was the kind of educator one does not see today, Payne said.
Johnston had been associated with Virginia Tech for 59 years - half of the university's existence.
Instrumental in the creation of the College of Arts and Sciences, he also was its first dean. He came to Tech as an English teacher in 1930 and maintained his teaching schedule when he became dean in 1961. From 1950-61, Johnston served as the dean of applied science and business administration.
He was known nationally as a Shakespearean scholar and locally as a man who had a Shakespearean quote for every occasion. He was an expert on author Ben Jonson and wrote two books about him.
Gene Justice, a student of Johnston's in the '50s, said Johnston was a fantastic teacher.
``Virginia Tech was long on technical courses then and short on cultural [ones],'' Justice said. ``He brought real life into things [usually] dead and dull.''
Justice remembered Johnston inviting students to his house on Sundays. There, he and his students would put on Elizabethan plays with puppets Johnston made himself.
Johnston's talents went far beyond academia, though. He sculpted, painted and carved wood figurines, many of which related to stories he read.
A black walnut carving of J.R.R. Tolkien's Bilbo Baggins was exhibited with a letter from Tolkien praising the work.
Johnston wrote poetry and painstakingly hand set type to print copies for friends on his home press, which he called the white rhinoceros.
He retired from Tech two decades ago, but remained active with the university and was honored by having a student center named after him.
University President Paul Torgersen played tennis with Johnston when he was 77 and always was impressed with his insights of the world.
``He was just a joy to be around,'' Torgersen said.
Henry J. Dekker, vice rector of Tech's board of visitors, said Johnston always would attract a crowd at social events ``because he was so interesting.''
``Students just adored him; he made them feel he was there to help,'' Dekker said.
Dekker described Johnston as ``a real Southern gentleman who took walks every day in a suit and tie and a slouch felt hat.''
Johnston was moved to a managed-care center in Lynchburg from Blacksburg two years ago when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
The funeral for Johnston will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Christ Episcopal Church, Blacksburg. Burial will be in Westview Cemetery, Blacksburg. The family will not receive friends at the funeral home.
by CNB