Johnson was R-J executive

Earl Johnson, former general manager of the Las Vegas Review-Journal during the 1980s, died Wednesday.

"He gave his heart to newspapers, and we'll always think kindly of him for that," Review-Journal Publisher Sherman Frederick said.

Johnson, a native of North Dakota, came to Las Vegas in 1962 to work as an advertising salesman for the paper. He advanced his career, becoming retail advertising manager for 21/2 years before serving as advertising manager for four years.

Johnson then went on to work as general manager for newspapers in California and Washington before returning to the Review-Journal in 1981.

Johnson would lead the Review-Journal until 1988.

Mary Hausch, former managing editor of the Review-Journal during Johnson's tenure, called him a gregarious and affable person who loved Las Vegas.

"He was a backslapping type of guy ... a good representative of the newspaper" in the community, Hausch said. "He always wanted Las Vegas to be a bigger and better place than it was."

Johnson believed newspapers were stewards in the fight to keep government records open to the public.

After he was elected president of the Nevada State Press Association in 1986, Johnson said newspapers must stand against state legislators who would weaken the state's open meeting and open records laws.

"On behalf of the residents of Nevada, we must be vigilant in guarding against measures to weaken the laws which protect the public's right to know," Johnson said.

Under Johnson's leadership, Hausch added, reporters knew they were to challenge any closure of a government meeting and that they would have the full backing of the newspaper.

Johnson was heavily involved in the community and was active with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the United Way.

Details on services were not immediately available.