Lonnie Johnson, acclaimed inventor, is the founder and President of Johnson Research and Development and founder and chairman of Johnson Energy Storage and JTEC Energy. His most popular invention is the Super Soaker water gun, which sold over 250 million units since its launch in 1990 and grossed more than $1 billion.
He conceived the extremely sought-after kids toy in 1982 while working on another invention, an environmentally friendly heat pump. Dr. Johnson partnered with Larami Corporation, which was later bought by Hasbro when the Super Soaker became the number one selling toy in the world. The wild success of the Super Soaker allowed him to fulfill a life-long dream of becoming a full-time inventor and establishing his own company, Johnson Research.
Dr. Johnson is a prolific inventor and holds over 150 patents and continues to invent to this day. His innovations to science and engineering are significant and include numerous energy technologies, consumer products, and high-tech toys. He is among an elite group of African-American inventors who hold 6 percent of all patent applications in the United States.
He served in the United States Air Force and worked as an engineer for NASA. While in the Air Force, he served as the Chief of the Space Nuclear Power Safety Section and worked on the Stealth Bomber program. He was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal twice and the Commendation Medal for his contributions to the Air Force.
At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), he was a Senior Systems Engineer for the Galileo mission to Jupiter and spacecraft engineer for the Mars Observer and the Cassini mission to Saturn. He received multiple achievement awards for his work at NASA.
In 2011, Dr. Johnson was the first African American to be inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. His Super Soaker was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2015 and Dr Johnson received the Trailblazer Award from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition the same year. He is also the recipient of the Legacy Award from the United Negro College Fund, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Golden Mousetrap Awards, and the Innovation Award from the Bounce Trumpet Awards, to name a few.
Aside from his notable inventions and revolutionary scientific work and research, Dr. Johnson has found numerous ways to mentor and support a new generation of engineers, particularly young people of color. He is the founder and chairman of the board of his non-profit, the Johnson STEM Activity Center, located in Atlanta. He is also a board member of the Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation, a Trustee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and a member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta. He is the former chairman of the board for the Georgia Alliance for Children and a former member of the board of directors for Commonwealth National Bank.
Ms. Thelma Thrash, former president of the Boys and Girls Club of Mobile said of Johnson, “He is a Renaissance Man with social conscience, a leader, and a visionary.” “His many achievements and global-wide contributions speak volumes […] of his character, integrity, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.”
He was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, where he attended Williamson High School. As a high school student, he traveled to The University of Alabama to compete in a science fair sponsored by the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS). The only African-American student in the competition, he won first place for his invention, “Linex,” a remote-controlled, compressed-air-powered robot created from junkyard scraps.
He attended Tuskegee University on a math scholarship and earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1973 and his master’s degree in nuclear engineering in 1975. Tuskegee University also awarded him an honorary Ph.D. for his accomplishments in science and engineering.
Johnson lives with his wife in Atlanta and has four children.
