Changes

In 1937, after a short time as a stringer correspondent for several newspapers, including ''The Jackson Daily News'', ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', and the ''Memphis Commercial Appeal'', Johnston became one of eight members of the staff then of ''The Clarion-Ledger'', his state's largest paper. He worked there as state regional editor, political reporter, and editor of petroleum and [[natural gas]] issues. He was also the first staff [[photographer]] for a Mississippi daily newspaper. In 1941, he bought half interest in the weekly paper,  ''The Scott County Times'' in Forest, a small city in Scott County in central Mississippi.<ref name=bio/> In 1942, at the age of twenty-four, Johnston bought out his partner's half interest to become sole owner of ''The Scott County Times'', which thereafter won many awards of excellence from the Mississippi Press Association. In 1949, at the age of thirty-one, Johnston was elected the youngest president thus far of the Mississippi Press Association. He was the only journalist who did not attend college inducted into gma Delta Chi]], the national journalism [[fraternity]]. Johnston served in the [[United States Army]] during [[World War II]]. While he was in the military from 1945 to 1946, his wife, the former Fay Martin (1919-1999), operated the paper.<ref name=papers/> He remained with ''The Scott County Times'' until he sold it 1983.<ref name=nyt/>

In 1937, after a short time as a stringer correspondent for several newspapers, including ''The Jackson Daily News'', ''The Jackson Clarion-Ledger'', and the ''Memphis Commercial Appeal'', Johnston became one of eight members of the staff then of ''The Clarion-Ledger'', his state's largest paper. He worked there as state regional editor, political reporter, and editor of petroleum and [[natural gas]] issues. He was also the first staff [[photographer]] for a Mississippi daily newspaper. In 1941, he bought half interest in the weekly paper,  ''The Scott County Times'' in Forest, a small city in Scott County in central Mississippi.<ref name=bio/> In 1942, at the age of twenty-four, Johnston bought out his partner's half interest to become sole owner of ''The Scott County Times'', which thereafter won many awards of excellence from the Mississippi Press Association. In 1949, at the age of thirty-one, Johnston was elected the youngest president thus far of the Mississippi Press Association. He was the only journalist who did not attend college inducted into gma Delta Chi]], the national journalism [[fraternity]]. Johnston served in the [[United States Army]] during [[World War II]]. While he was in the military from 1945 to 1946, his wife, the former Fay Martin (1919-1999), operated the paper.<ref name=papers/> He remained with ''The Scott County Times'' until he sold it 1983.<ref name=nyt/>

In 1960, segregationist Governor Ross Barnett appointed Johnston as director of public relations of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, an agency established in 1956 to oppose encroachment on state [[sovereignty]] by the [[United States government]]. The commission thereafter sought to publicize what it claimed were the advantages to both races of segregation in Mississippi. [[Civil rights]] activists opposed the commission. In 1963, Johnston became the executive director of the commission, a position which he filled until 1968, when he resigned from the organization. His service as executive director was principally under the administration of Barnett's successor, Paul B. Johnson, Jr.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://crdl.usg.edu/people/j/johnston_erle/?Welcome|title=Johnston, Erle (biography)|publisher=crdl.usg.edu|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref> Johnston once told an interviewer that the opponents had exaggerated the role of the commission, which he believed had succeeded in "keeping down tension and confrontation."<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/28/obituaries/e-e-johnston-77-segregation-figure.html|title=E. E. Johnston, 77, Segregation Figure|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=September 28, 1995|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref>  

In 1960, segregationist Governor Ross Barnett appointed Johnston as director of public relations of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, an agency established in 1956 to oppose encroachment on state [[sovereignty]] by the [[United States government]]. The commission thereafter sought to publicize what it claimed were the advantages to both races of segregation in Mississippi. [[Civil rights]] activists opposed the commission. In 1963, Johnston became the executive director of the commission, a position which he filled until 1968, when he resigned from the organization. His service as executive director was principally under the administration of Barnett's successor, Paul Burney Johnson, Jr.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://crdl.usg.edu/people/j/johnston_erle/?Welcome|title=Johnston, Erle (biography)|publisher=crdl.usg.edu|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref> Johnston once told an interviewer that the opponents had exaggerated the role of the commission, which he believed had succeeded in "keeping down tension and confrontation."<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/28/obituaries/e-e-johnston-77-segregation-figure.html|title=E. E. Johnston, 77, Segregation Figure|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=September 28, 1995|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref>  

In 1962, in an address at his alma mater, Grenada High School, Johnston addressed the threat facing school segregation in Mississippi:

In 1962, in an address at his alma mater, Grenada High School, Johnston addressed the threat facing school segregation in Mississippi:

We can be practical without being radical: we can be realistic without being ridiculous. I have often thought that if the extremists at both ends of this racial situation would quit wildly wagging their tongues, and suspiciously pointing their fingers, we could restore some racial harmony in Mississippi and make better progress.<ref name=ej>Erle Johnston, ''Mississippi's Defiant Years, 1953-1973: An Interpretative Documentary with Personal Experiences'' (Forest, Mississippi: Lake Harbor Publishers, 1990), pp, 137-138.</ref></blockquote>

We can be practical without being radical: we can be realistic without being ridiculous. I have often thought that if the extremists at both ends of this racial situation would quit wildly wagging their tongues, and suspiciously pointing their fingers, we could restore some racial harmony in Mississippi and make better progress.<ref name=ej>Erle Johnston, ''Mississippi's Defiant Years, 1953-1973: An Interpretative Documentary with Personal Experiences'' (Forest, Mississippi: Lake Harbor Publishers, 1990), pp, 137-138.</ref></blockquote>

Johnston criticized the activities of the White Citizens Council but overcame that opposition when he was named the executive director of the sovereignty commission and continued as public relations director as well.<ref>Erle Johnston, ''Mississippi's Defiant Years'', pp. 189, 228.</ref> The commission was abolished in 1977 in the Cliff Finch administration, four years after Governor Bill Waller [[veto]]ed its funding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdcbowen.org/p2/bh/badco/missSov.htm Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|title=Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 18, 1998.|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref>

Johnston criticized the activities of the White Citizens Council but overcame that opposition when he was named the executive director of the sovereignty commission and continued as public relations director as well.<ref>Erle Johnston, ''Mississippi's Defiant Years'', pp. 189, 228.</ref> The commission was abolished in 1977 in the Cliff Finch administration, four years after Governor [[Bill Waller]] [[veto]]ed its funding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdcbowen.org/p2/bh/badco/missSov.htm Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|title=Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 18, 1998.|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref>

Johnston worked in numerous [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] political campaigns in Mississippi, beginning in 1942 with [[James Eastland]]'s election to the [[United States Senate]]; Eastland was subsequently the long-term chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]]. He worked to elect Martin Sennet Conner and Fielding Wright as governor of Mississippi in 1943 and 1947, respectively; Conner previously served from 1936 to 1940 but lost the gubernatorial race in 1943 to Thomas L. Bailey, who thereafter died in office in 1946. Johnston worked in Hugh L. White's gubernatorial race in 1951, and the renomination of Senator Eastland in the 1954 primary against Carroll Gartin of Laurel, a three-term lieutenant governor who subsequently died in office in 1966. Johnston was Ross Barnett's publicity director in the unsuccessful 1955 race for governor against James P. Coleman and the successful one in 1959 against Carroll Gartin. He also worked for the unpledged elector slate in 1960, which denied the Mississippi [[electoral vote]] to both [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Richard M. Nixon]]. He helped to produce telecasts of the inaugurations of Governors Barnett, Johnson, [[conservative]]  John Bell Williams in 1968, and William Waller in 1972.<ref name=papers/>   

Johnston worked in numerous [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] political campaigns in Mississippi, beginning in 1942 with [[James Eastland]]'s election to the [[United States Senate]]; Eastland was subsequently the long-term chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]]. He worked to elect Martin Sennet Conner and Fielding Wright as governor of Mississippi in 1943 and 1947, respectively; Conner previously served from 1936 to 1940 but lost the gubernatorial race in 1943 to Thomas L. Bailey, who thereafter died in office in 1946. Johnston worked in Hugh L. White's gubernatorial race in 1951, and the renomination of Senator Eastland in the 1954 primary against Carroll Gartin of Laurel, a three-term lieutenant governor who subsequently died in office in 1966. Johnston was Ross Barnett's publicity director in the unsuccessful 1955 race for governor against James P. Coleman and the successful one in 1959 against Carroll Gartin. He also worked for the unpledged elector slate in 1960, which denied the Mississippi [[electoral vote]] to both [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Richard M. Nixon]]. He helped to produce telecasts of the inaugurations of Governors Barnett, Johnson, [[conservative]]  John Bell Williams in 1968, and William Waller in 1972.<ref name=papers/>