Bud Johnson

Sport: Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism

Induction Year: 2001

University: LSUSoutheasternTulane

At 16, his sports column was syndicated. It ran in both weekly papers in Ponchatoula. Johnson got his start in the sports public relations field at 18, serving as a sports publicist for Southeastern Louisiana College, 1952-1956, while an undergraduate. After military service, he joined the LSU athletic department as assistant sports publicity director in 1958. He became LSU’s sports information director in 1966 and served in that capacity until the end of the 1971 football season. His LSU Football Magazine won a COSIDA award for excellence in 1970. He was the president of the SEC Sports Publicity Directors Association in 1970. In December of 1971 he joined Eastern Airlines as public relations manager in the Midwest, responsible for media relations in an eight-state region. Johnson returned to sports in 1974 as the public relations director of the New Orleans Jazz basketball club. He became Tulane’s first assistant athletic director for marketing and promotion in 1977. Johnson helped Tulane establish attendance records in football, leading the NCAA in increased attendance in 1979. He sold sponsorships for Tulane radio and television broadcasts in football and basketball. His promotional activity helped set a Major League Baseball record for exhibition game attendance in 1981 when Tulane brought the New York Yankees to the Superdome for an exhibition series. He became an independent marketing and public relations consultant in 1986, working in political campaigns and special event promotion. He published two books, SUPERDOME by Marty Mule’ in 1995, and MISTER MAC by Peter Finney in 1997. He retired in 2000. Johnson wrote the PERFECT SEASON: LSU’s Magic Year – 1958, which was published in 2007. He came out of retirement in 2007 to serve as the director of the LSU Alumni Association’s Andonie Sports Museum.