IV 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 88 

Honoring Brigadier General Hazel Winifred Johnson-Brown, the first AfricanAmerican woman to hold the rank of General in the United States 

Armed Forces. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 16, 2011 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Ms. JACKSON LEE of 

Texas, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, 

Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. BASS of California, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. 

PIERLUISI, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. SMITH of 

Texas, Ms. NORTON, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. ISRAEL, Ms. BROWN of Florida, 

Mr. MEEKS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CLEAVER, and Ms. RICHARDSON) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Honoring Brigadier General Hazel Winifred Johnson-Brown, 

the first African-American woman to hold the rank of 

General in the United States Armed Forces. 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown was born October 10, 1927, 

in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to the late Clarence L. 

Johnson, Sr., and Garnett H. Johnson; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown earned her nursing diploma 

at Harlem Hospital School of Nursing in 1950, after 


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•HCON 88 IH 

being denied admission to the West Chester School of 

Nursing because she was Black; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown, a pioneering military 

nurse, enlisted in the Army in 1955 and rose in the 

ranks due to her advanced operating room skills and 

strong leadership abilities; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Villanova University in 1959; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown earned her master’s degree 

in nursing education from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 1963; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown earned her doctorate in 

educational administration from Catholic University in 

1978; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown held numerous leadership 

positions throughout her tenure in the Army, including 

Director of the Walter Reed Army Institute School of 

Nursing and Chief Army Nurse in South Korea; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown was twice named Army 

nurse of the year; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown made history when she became the first African-American woman to be promoted 

to Brigadier General in the United States Armed Forces 

in 1979; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown made history when she became the first African-American to be selected as Chief 

of the Army Nurse Corps in 1979; 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown’s military decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf 


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Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of 

Merit, and Distinguished Service Medal; 

Whereas after retiring from the Army, General JohnsonBrown became Director of the Division of Governmental 

Affairs at the American Nurses Association; and 

Whereas General Johnson-Brown taught at the graduate 

nursing program at George Mason University where she 

established and served as Director of the Center for 

Health Policy: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) honors General Brigadier Hazel Johnson4 Brown for outstanding achievements in and signifi5 cant contributions to the nursing profession and her 

6 dedication to the United States Army; 

7 (2) recognizes General Hazel Johnson-Brown as 

8 the first African-American woman to hold the rank 

9 of General in the United States Armed Forces and 

10 the first African-American Chief of the Army Nurse 

11 Corps; and 

12 (3) advocates for women of color to enter nurs13 ing and supports strategies to remedy the national 

14 shortage of nurses. 

Æ 


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