Walter "Cork" Johnson, 1928-2019

Professor Emeritus Walter "Cork" Johnson passed away in Minneapolis on September 24th at the age of 91. Cork was an expert on precision mass spectroscopy. A native of Minneapolis and a student of Al Nier, he received his BA, MA and PhD in Physics from the University. After a brief stint at General Electric, Cork joined the faculty of the School in 1958 and retired in 1993.

In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Cork was dedicated to the University of Minnesota and his community. He served as Acting Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy (1969-70 and 1982-83), as well as Associate Dean (1971-77) and then acting Dean of the Institute of Technology (now CSE) from 1977-1979. Cork was one of the founders of the Honors Program in the College. He lived in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood for almost his entire life and was very active in community affairs before and after retirement. "Cork was a stellar teacher," said Paul Crowell, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy. "Everyone who worked with him has commented on his dedication to the complete mission of the University."