Obituary

William R. Johnson, MCEER business manager

William R Johnson, business and contracts manager for the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) and a long-time member of the UB community, died June 17 in Millard Fillmore Hospital. He was 62.

A UB graduate, Johnson joined the university's professional staff in 1961 as an assistant purchasing agent. He later was named assistant to the vice president for finance, and in 1968, was appointed director of the capital equipment division of the Office of Facilities Planning.

Johnson was responsible for major equipment acquisitions during the construction and early development of the North Campus. He also was instrumental in the purchase of the $1.5 million seismic simulator for the Department of Civil Engineering.

In 1972, Johnson was appointed secretary of a New York State task force to establish the value of all assets for the SUNY system.

In 1986, he was recruited by former UB President Robert L. Ketter to serve as business manager and develop the physical facilities for what is now MCEER.

Johnson was well known throughout the UB community and the SUNY system, having served on the Professional Staff Senate Executive Committee and as a member of the SUNY Purchasing Association. He was a certified materials manager and a certified professional purchasing manager.

He was a member of the National Association of Educational Buyers, the National Association of Purchasing Managers and the National Council on School Construction.

A resident of Lockport, Johnson was one of the founders of the Lockport Community Cable Commission, which franchised the first cable-television service for the City and Town of Lockport in the mid-1970s. He was instrumental in writing the first franchise agreement and continued to serve as secretary-treasurer of the cable commission at the time of his death.

Johnson also served as secretary of the City of Lockport Emergency Response Planning Committee and the Niagara County SARA Title III Emergency Response Planning Committee, where he assisted in writing a plan for the management of toxic and hazardous materials spills for the City of Lockport.

Johnson enjoyed classical music, literature and Civil War history, and volunteered with Lockport Little League baseball for many years.