Johnson, "Skinny" (William C.)
Basketball
b. Aug. 16, 1911, Oklahoma City, OK
d. Feb. 5, 1980
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Johnson was tall for his time, and he played even taller because of his great leaping ability. As a result, he was a key player in the era when there was a jump ball after each score. Johnson led the University of Kansas to three consecutive Big Seven championships, 1931-33, and he was named an All-American center in his senior year.
After graduating, Johnson played AAU basketball with Southern Kansas Stage Lines. His team won the national AAU championship in 1935 and Johnson was an AAU All-American in all three seasons he played there. In 1947-48, he coached Cleveland Chiropractic College to a 16-2 record.