James Aloysius Johnston (September 15, 1874 in Brooklyn, N.Y. – September 7, 1954 in San Francisco, California) was the first warden of Alcatraz prison. He was warden from 1934 to 1948.
Orphaned at the age of ten, began working at age 15 at Weinstock, Lubin and Co., selling ties in the menswear dept. Rose to General Manager of Weinstock Lubin. Later started Johnston's Men's Wear at 916 Market St. in San Francisco.
Elected to San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 1907
Appointed Chair, California State Board of Control, 1911
Ten of the fourteen escape attempts took place when he was warden, including the one that resulted in the Battle of Alcatraz. Johnston wrote several books during his lifetime including "Prison Life is Different" where he documents his time spent as warden at Folsom, San Quentin, and Alcatraz. Johnston is credited with challenging the barbaric tactics used in the prisons when he was there, including strait jackets and solitary confinement in darkness and working towards the general improvement of the lives of prisoners. He was married to Ida Mae Fulton and had one son and three daughters.
His cause of Death is Unknown