Richard Malcolm Johnston
Richard Malcolm Johnston (1822-1898) was an American author and educator known for his contributions to Southern literature and his role in preserving the folk history of middle Georgia. Born in Powellton, Georgia, he received a quality education that culminated at Mercer University. After a brief career in teaching following his graduation, Johnston studied law and practiced for several years before returning to education as a professor of humanities at the University of Georgia.
During the Civil War, he opened a boys' boarding school, Rockaby, and was involved in state militia organization efforts. Post-war, he relocated to Baltimore, where he established the Pen Lucy School for boys, which faced challenges after his conversion to Catholicism. Johnston's literary career was marked by his collection "Georgia Sketches," later expanded into "Dukesborough Tales," which gained him national recognition. His most notable story, "The Goosepond School," criticized educational practices of the time while advocating for humane education. Johnston's works reflect the life and culture of the common people in Georgia during the early 19th century, making significant contributions to regional literature. He passed away in 1898.
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Subject Terms
Richard Malcolm Johnston
Fiction and Nonfiction Writer
- Born: March 8, 1822
- Birthplace: Powellton, Georgia
- Died: September 23, 1898
Biography
Richard Malcolm Johnston was born on March 8, 1822, at Powellton, Georgia, the son of Malcolm Johnston, a planter and a Baptist minister. Johnston began his education in field schools and at the Powellton Academy. His father moved the family to Crawfordville, Georgia, in order to afford the children a better education. Johnston attended the Crawfordville Academy and completed his education at Mercer University in Penfield, where he received his degree in 1841. Johnston spent his first year after graduation in the teaching profession. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1843. He went into partnership with Linton Stephens and remained a partner in that firm for sixteen years. In 1857, he was a candidate for a circuit judgeship and was defeated. At this time he returned to teaching, accepting an appointment as a professor of humanities at the University of Georgia.
In 1862, during the Civil War, Johnston left his position and returned to his plantation in Hancock County, Georgia. There he opened a boarding school for boys called Rockaby and maintained the school throughout the war. Johnston was also active in the war effort; from May to July, 1864, he served on the staff of Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown and helped organize a militia in the state. Near the close of the war he played a significant role in hiding Confederate military leader Robert Augustus Toombs from Union troops.
After the war, Johnston moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he opened the Pen Lucy School for boys. His friend Sidney Lanier was a member of the staff. Lanier, a poet, encouraged Johnston to pursue a literary career and to continue to write for publication. In 1875, following the lead of his wife, the former Frances Manfield, Johnston converted to Catholicism. His decision to leave the Protestant faith resulted in a decline in enrollment at the Pen Lucy School, which had been associated with Baptist patronage. Johnston, already a successful writer, closed the school and devoted himself to his career as a writer and lecturer.
In 1864, he had published Georgia Sketches, a collection of stories which he amplified and republished as Dukesborough Tales in 1871. The second edition of this collection, published in 1883, marked the beginning of his national fame as a writer. Johnston’s most famous story, “The Goosepond School,” was included in this collection. In “The Goosepond School” he advocated for humane and liberal education by describing a plantation field school and the eventual failure of its sadistic headmaster. Johnston wrote four novels and six additional collections of stories. All of his works treated themes already introduced in the Dukesborough Tales. He died on September 23, 1898. His work preserved the folk history of the common people of middle Georgia, especially during the period from 1820 to1840.