John Seward Johnson I

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John Seward Johnson I
Born	July 14, 1895 New Brunswick, New Jersey
Died	May 23, 1983 Fort Pierce, Florida
Occupation	Aviator
Spouse	Barbara Piasecka
Children	John Seward Johnson II, Diana Melville Johnson, Elaine Johnson Wold, Mary Lea Johnson Richards, James Loring Johnson, Jennifer Johnson Duke.
Parents	Robert Wood Johnson I

John Seward Johnson I (July 14, 1895 – May 23, 1983) was the son of Robert Wood Johnson I, the founder of the company Johnson & Johnson. He was also known as J. Seward Johnson, Sr. and Seward Johnson. He founded the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI).

He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on July 14, 1895. ^[1]

He started a relationship with his Polish maid, Barbara Piasecka, whom he married in 1971 as his third wife. She inherited his $400 million dollar fortune. When he died in Fort Pierce, Florida the six children from his first two marriages contested the will. They already were given money in trusts, but the legal battle ended with the Johnson children getting an additional $US 30 million each. His son with his first wife, Ruth, is the artist John Seward Johnson II. His daughter, Diana Melville Johnson and her husband Bertram Firestone are renowned owner/breeders of Thoroughbred racehorses.

An avid art collector, Johnson owned an extensive collection of old-master paintings and drawings.

[edit] External links

• Harbor Branch

[edit] References

• New York Times; May 24, 1983; "J. Seward Johnson, a director of Johnson Johnson from 1921 to 1971 and an internationally known yachtsman half a century ago, died yesterday at his home in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was 87 years old and also lived in Princeton, N.J. Mr. Johnson was a son of one ..."
• New York Times; May 19, 1986; "When the court battle over the $500 million estate of J. Seward Johnson Sr. began almost two months ago, witnesses for his six children testified about incidents in which Mr. Johnson's third wife, Barbara, shouted and cursed at him and at servants at their home in Princeton, N.J. The ..."