Joshua Leroy Johns was born on a farm in the Town of Eagle, Richland County, Wisconsin on February 27, 1881, the son of William and Cynthia Logue Johns. After graduation from Richland Center High School in 1901, Johns was employed by the State Bank of Richland Center, ultimately rising to the post of vice president of the First National Bank of Richland Center in four years. Johns left that position to attend the University of Chattanooga and Yale University Law School, where he graduated in 1907. Johns began his law career in Chattanooga as a partner in the firm Littleton and Johns. He also taught in the university's law school for three years.
After his marriage to Esther M. Newman of Algoma, Johns relocated to Richland Center, Wisconsin where he was a partner with Levi Bancroft. Although he continued to practice law during the remainder of his career Johns became active in a variety of other fields. He organized the Farmers 8 Merchants Bank and served as vice-president and director until his relocation to Algoma. Johns also went into business with his father-in-law, eventually becoming president of the Plumbers Woodwork Company of Algoma. In addition, Johns was also an active farmer.
Republican politics was an interest of Joshua L. Johns and his name was mentioned as a potential candidate for governor, United States senator, and Supreme Court justice. In 1928 he served as secretary to Governor Fred Zimmerman and was commissioned by the governor as an honorary colonel in the Wisconsin National Guard. In 1938 he was elected to Congress from the 8th District. Re-elected in 1940, Johns was defeated in his bid for a third term. In Congress his most publicized accomplishment was authoring the legislation that created “I Am an American Day” in 1940.
Joshua Johns was also a leader in Kiwanis International. He organized the club in Appleton and served as president. Later he was elected district governor of the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan district. On the national level, Johns was a member of the public affairs committee, and in 1928 he was selected as an international trustee and member of the board of Kiwanis International. In 1933 Kiwanis International elected him to a one-year term as president. In part because of his Kiwanis activity Johns was a well-known speaker on civic topics, and his pamphlet “Out of United States Citizenship” was widely circulated.
The Johns were parents of one son, Newell Hartwell Johns (1914- ). Mrs. Johns died in 1940. Later Johns married Marguerite Burdon. They became the parents of a son, Richard Rowland Johns, in 1944. Joshua Johns died on March 16, 1947 and was buried at Fort Howard Cemetery in Green Bay.
