Pioneering Black Hair Care Innovator George E. Johnson Passes Away at 99
WHO:
The Source - George E. Johnson, founder of Johnson Products Company
ABC News - Johnson's family, including his second wife, Madeline Murphy Rabb, and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren
WHAT:
ABC News - Johnson's family expressed their “profound sadness” after his death and celebrated his “extraordinary legacy of entrepreneurship, faith, perseverance, philanthropy, and family.”
ABC News - Johnson's family stated that he was a “visionary business leader who built a haircare empire, broke barriers on Wall Street, and helped fuel the fight for civil rights.”
ABC News - Johnson's family noted that his early experiences shaped values of humility, determination, personal responsibility, and the golden rule: treating everyone the way he wished to be treated, with dignity and respect.
The Source - George E. Johnson died of natural causes at the age of 99
ABC News - Johnson founded Johnson Products Company in 1954 with a $250 loan
ABC News - Johnson Products Company manufactured hair care products named Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen
ABC News - Johnson Products Company was the first national sponsor of Soul Train
ABC News - In 1971, Johnson Products Company became the first Black-owned business listed and traded on the American Stock Exchange
WHERE:
The Source - Johnson died at his downtown Chicago condominium
ABC News - Johnson Products Company was founded in Chicago’s South Side
ABC News - The W.E.B. Du Bois Medal Ceremony took place at Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, MA
WHEN:
ABC News - Johnson was born in 1927
ABC News - The W.E.B. Du Bois Medal Ceremony occurred on November 4, 2025
WHY:
ABC News - Johnson's family stated he had an "unshakable belief that opportunity should exist for everyone"
HOW:
Inc - Johnson turned a $250 loan into one of America’s most important Black-owned businesses.
ABC News - Johnson started his business with a loan and built a hair care empire through entrepreneurship and community leadership
(UPDATED July 7, 2026 15:55 UTC)
Johnson's family has expressed their profound sadness following his death while celebrating his extraordinary legacy of entrepreneurship, faith, and philanthropy. They described him as a visionary business leader who built a haircare empire, broke barriers on Wall Street, and played a significant role in the fight for civil rights. Johnson's early experiences instilled in him values of humility, determination, and the belief in treating everyone with dignity and respect, all of which contributed to his remarkable journey from a $250 loan to one of America's most important Black-owned businesses.
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(UPDATED July 7, 2026 13:44 UTC)
George E. Johnson, the founder of Johnson Products Company, has passed away at the age of 99 due to natural causes at his downtown Chicago condominium. Johnson started his business in 1954 with a $250 loan, eventually creating popular hair care products like Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, and making history as the first Black-owned business listed on the American Stock Exchange in 1971. His family remembers him for his "unshakable belief that opportunity should exist for everyone," a principle that guided his entrepreneurial journey and community leadership.