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    Johnson County, Iowa, Renames Itself After A Different Johnson

    The county was first named after a slave-owning former vice president who had no connection to Iowa. Now it will be named for Lulu Merle Johnson: the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in the state.
    by James Doubek Jun 27, 2021 3 minutes
    Lulu Merle Johnson, a professor and historian, was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Iowa. Johnson County, Iowa, is naming itself after her.

    Johnson County, Iowa, has a new name.

    It will still be Johnson County. But henceforth, the county is taking its name from a different Johnson: Lulu Merle Johnson, a professor and historian who was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Iowa.

    It was originally named for Richard Mentor Johnson, who served as vice president under President Martin Van Buren.

    Lulu Merle Johnson was born in 1907 in a small town called Gravity in southwestern

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