Obituary
Oscar Mecklin Johnson, a former senior Capitol Hill journalist and chief adviser to members of Congress who drafted historic legislation, including Title IX, died of natural causes on Jan. 7, 2025, at his Arlington, Va. home with his family. He was 89.
Johnson was born on Aug. 10, 1935, in Tallahassee, Fla. to Oscar Martin Johnson and Janie Mecklin Johnson. He grew up in Green Cove Springs, Fla., although he spent several years in Alexandria while his father served as chief-of-staff to U.S. Senator Claude Pepper. In Alexandria he attended Matthew Maury Elementary School, before graduating in 1953 from Clay High School in Green Cove Springs.
He moved back to Alexandria in 1968 where he and his wife Mary Jo Adams raised their four children.
He attended Florida State University, where he was editor-in-chief of the Florida Flambeau, the school’s student newspaper. He graduated in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Johnson worked for the Atlanta Constitution as a beat reporter covering DeKalb County, Ga. There, he covered the high-profile, national story of a beloved dog enthusiast turned criminal known as Mrs. Gray. His articles were republished by newspapers across the country, from Tulsa, Okla. to Los Angeles.
Johnson left the Atlanta Constitution to serve in the U.S. Army, with a counterintelligence assignment in Korea and later in Washington, D.C. While in Korea, he enjoyed traveling to Japan.
Returning to journalism following his military service, Johnson worked in Washington as a senior editor of Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill. He was among the publication’s first seven employees and wrote about the inner workings of Congress, causing stir with stories on topics like gender inequalities on the Hill. It was at Roll Call that he met Mary Jo Adams. They married in 1968, moved back to Alexandria — where they raised four children — and later divorced.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Johnson served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Claude Pepper of Florida. Later, he was chief-of-staff to U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink of Hawaii, and thereafter a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Dante Fascell of Florida. Johnson played a key role in drafting and passing numerous bills, including Title IX and the Women’s Educational Equity Act. In 1972, he helped lead Mink’s presidential bid.
After his career on the Hill, Johnson pursued other passions, including renovating townhouses and writing and publishing newsletters on issues of importance to him. In 2000, he retired to Florida and lived in the Tampa Bay area before moving back to Alexandria in 2022 and Arlington in 2023.
Johnson had an extensive lexicon that served him well in his years of writing. He loved song lyrics and musicals, and couldn’t resist singing along to “South Pacific” whenever he had the chance. He enjoyed sports, in particular the Tampa Bay Rays; politics; and, as he aged, natural health. As a boy, he loved catching crabs in the St. Johns River and swimming in his hometown’s natural springs swimming pool. As a young man in the Army, he developed a lasting love of photography, later capturing scenes from his six-month U.S. and Mexico beach-tour honeymoon and time in Acapulco, Mexico. He took pride in thoughtfully selecting gifts for his children and grandchildren, and he found joy watching sunsets on Florida’s Gulf coast, eating ice cream and relaxing in his chair.
He is survived by two sons, Patrick and Christopher (Joy); two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth (Brett); his brother Carl (Susan); nieces Donna Harkness and Lizzy Johnson; nephew Roy Harkness; and grandchildren Matt, Jacqueline, James, Hugh, Byron, Alexander and Josephine. He is predeceased by his nephew, Mike, and his sister, Janie. His daughter Margaret was his favorite.