Thomas Scott Johnson, the son of a Presbyterian minister, was born in Greenville, New York, on February 19, 1839. His boyhood was spent in New Jersey, where he attended Newton Academy. In 1855, his family moved to Portage, Wisconsin, and later to Oxford, where his father served as minister and schoolmaster. Thomas Johnson graduated from Carroll College in Waukesha as a member of the “War Class” of 1860 and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1864. During the Civil War he served as chaplain to the 127th (1864-1865) and 36th (1866-1867) Regiments of the United States Colored Troops. After his return to Oxford in 1867, Johnson became pastor of the Assembly Presbyterian Church in Beaver Dam, a post he retained until his retirement in 1917. During this period, Reverend Johnson wrote columns for numerous Presbyterian periodicals. Reverend Johnson became a trustee of Downer College, Fox Lake, Wisconsin, in 1875, and he served as president of the board from 1881-1895. He was also appointed a trustee of Carroll College and he retained both trusteeships until his death in 1927.
In June 5, 1884, Johnson married Sara Elliot, the daughter of Reverend Madison Elliot of Rochester, Ohio. Born in 1849, Sara Elliot attended Savanna Academy in Ohio and graduated from Lake Erie College in 1872. She taught at Downer College, 1873-1875, where she met Thomas Johnson. In 1875 Sara returned to Ohio to teach at Mansfield High School. During her stay in Mansfield, Sara was active in the local temperance society. After moving to Beaver Dam in 1884, Sara Elliot Johnson helped to organize the Beaver Dam Women's Club and she served as its first president from 1899 to 1901. She died on April 1, 1921 in Beaver Dam.
The Johnsons' first daughter Mary was born on June 22, 1885. She attended Carroll College, received a Master of Arts degree from Oberlin College, and did further graduate work at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Arizona. She taught at Beaver Dam High School and at North Division High School, Milwaukee. Mary Johnson wrote articles for several education journals and biographical sketches of Presbyterian ministers for the Wisconsin Biographical Dictionary. She also wrote a biography of her father that was never published. In 1935 Mary moved to Arizona where she died in 1953.
The Johnson's second daughter, Electa, was born on July 13, 1888. She taught at Wayland Academy and later resided in Pasadena, California.
