William Henderson Johnson, M.D., was a medical doctor for more than 50 years, first in private practice in Cape Charles, Virginia, (1929-1942) then in public health in Philadelphia (1942-1979). He graduated from Virginia Union University in 1924, having completed his high school education and a bachelor's degree. He was born in Philadelphia in 1901, but was sent to the Tidewater Boarding School for his early education. After college, Johnson attended Meherry Medical College and later received a degree in public health at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the VUU Board of Trustees, the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and was vice president of the national Alumni Association. He was a charter member of the African American DelMarVa Medical Society, and helped establish the Tidewater Institute, a school for African Americans during segregation. He wrote his autobiography, "Pathways of a Twentieth Century Traveler," in 1988. He was married and had one daughter, Barbara Williams of Memphis, Tenn., who donated these materials to VUU. Dr. Johnson died in 1989.