“J” is for Johnson, William Bullein (1782-1862).

William Bullein Johnson originally intended to study law but after a conversion experience at a religious revival in Beaufort he was called to the ministry. He served several congregations in South Carolina and helped found the South Carolina Baptist Convention. In 1822 he became principal of the Greenville Female Academy. Throughout his career, he was a supporter of female education, and helped raise funds for Furman Academy and Theological Institute (now Furman University). Johnson served as president of the national Triennial Convention (of the Baptist Church) from 1841 to 1844, using his office to foster cooperation between the northern and southern constituencies. When the sectional split in the Baptist denomination came in 1845, William Bullein Johnson served as the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention.