Endowed Scholarship Created to Remember Former Capitol College President Brig. Gen. Harold Johnson

Contact: Kyle Anderson

Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

301-369-2800, ext. 3015

kdanderson@capitol-college.edu

 

LAUREL, MD (February 7, 2013) – The family and friends of Brig. Gen. Harold R. Johnson have established The Brigadier General Harold R. “Johnny” Johnson and Marcia Baciu Johnson Scholarship to remember the fifth president of Capitol College and his wife, Maria. Gen. Johnson served as president of the college from 1976 to 1977.

 

This endowed scholarship will be awarded to a Capitol College junior during the fall semester, and will carry over to the student’s senior year so long as he or she maintains a 3.0 GPA. Preference will be given to a candidate who is a veteran of the US armed forces and/or is a licensed amateur radio operator.

 

The recipient of the scholarship must have a career interest in innovation, entrepreneurship or business. The recipient will likely be an engineering major with a business background, a business major with a technology background, or a business or engineering major with life experiences in innovation, entrepreneurship or business.

 

Johnny Johnson began his illustrious career as a combat bombardier flying 29 missions in the European Theatre of Operations during World War II. He was commander of the Pacific Communications Area during the Vietnam War. After retiring from the Air Force, General Johnson became a famous business executive involved in several industries: satellite, telecommunications, academia and venture capital.

 

During his career in the United States Air Force, Johnny worked on the first space flights and some of the early satellite programs. In 1965, he was assigned to the Executive Office of President and served as the principal assistant to the White House Telecommunications Director. After retiring from the Air Force in 1970, Johnny was an entrepreneurial executive with Western Union and American Satellite, overseeing the launch of the early Westar Satellites and the first-ever use of on-premises satellite dishes by corporate America. In 1982, Johnson moved to Silicon Valley, Calif., where he started the satellite digital communications company Vitalink Communications, Telebit Corp. and others. He made another career move in 1992 when he co-founded the Teuza Fund, which was the first Israeli venture capital fund.

 

Gen. Johnson’s extensive and wide-ranging career will be remembered through this endowed scholarship. The Johnson Scholarship Committee would like to form a long-term relationship with each recipient that will extend beyond the student’s time at Capitol College. The global reach of the committee will benefit the recipients as they progresses in their careers.

 

Capitol College is the only independent college in Maryland dedicated to education in engineering, computer science, information technology and business through practices of leadership and innovation. Founded in 1927, Capitol offers associate, bachelor’s and master's degrees, a Doctor of Science in Information Assurance, professional development training and certificates. Academic programs are grounded in centers of excellence; these include the Space Operations Institute, the Critical Infrastructures and Cyber Protection Center, the Innovation and Leadership Institute, and the Center for Space Science Education and Public Outreach. The college campus is located in Laurel, Maryland, a suburban setting midway between Baltimore and Washington, DC. www.capitol-college.edu.

 

 

###