A Conversation with Dr. Francis

Abstract

Brandon V. Webb (UT Dallas Communication Manager) led a Conversation with Dr. Francis S. ‘Frank’ Johnson. Dr. Johnson served as president of the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies (SCAS) in 1967 and presided over the organization’s transition to becoming UT Dallas and a full-fledged member of the University of Texas System in 1969. During our visit, Dr. Johnson shared recollections and thoughts about: Dr. Lloyd Berkner’s role in recruiting him to UT Dallas; space research he conducted using captured German V2 rockets; the transformation of SCAS into a fledgling university and the opposition to that effort in the late 1960s; the positive and lasting impacts of his time in leadership at SCAS and UT Dallas; and the efforts the university is undertaking to grow and become Tier One.