Lonnie George Johnson was born on October 6, 1949. He is an American inventor, aerospace engineer, and entrepreneur. He is most famous for creating the popular Super Soaker water gun in 1989. Before becoming an inventor, he worked for the U.S. Air Force and NASA, including a time at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Early life
Johnson was born in Mobile, Alabama on October 6, 1949. His mother, who completed high school, worked as a nurse's aide. His father, who did not finish high school, was a World War II veteran. Johnson had five siblings. His father taught him about electricity when he was young, which sparked Johnson's interest in inventing. Johnson said he "always liked to tinker with things," which led neighborhood children to call him "the Professor." They helped him with his inventions. Once, Johnson took apart his sister's baby doll to understand how its eyes closed. Another time, Johnson and the neighborhood children built a go-cart using a motor he made from metal he found at a local junkyard. He also tried to create rocket fuel in a saucepan, but this nearly caused a fire in the house.
Education
As a teenager, Johnson attended Williamson High School, an all-black school in Mobile. He drew much of his inspiration from George Washington Carver. In 1968, Johnson represented his high school at a science fair in Alabama. He was the only black student at the fair during a time when few African Americans were in science. There, he presented a robot he created, which he named "Linex," and won first place. The robot used compressed air for power.
In 1969, after finishing high school, Johnson went to Tuskegee University. He earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1973 and a master's degree in nuclear engineering in 1975. He received an honorary doctorate from Tuskegee University in 2018. After completing his master's degree, he worked for the U.S. Air Force on the stealth bomber program. He later joined NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1979.
Career
From 1979 to 1991, Johnson worked at NASA on many projects. These included the Air Force missions Lab, helping create the nuclear power source for the Galileo mission to Jupiter, several weapons-related projects, and working as an engineer on the Mariner Mark II Spacecraft series for the Comet Rendezvous and Saturn Orbiter Probe missions. He also worked on the stealth bomber program.
In 1991, Johnson started his own company, Johnson Research and Development Co., Inc., and continues to serve as its president.
More recently, he worked with scientists from Tulane University and Tuskegee University to develop a method for turning heat into electricity to make green energy more affordable.
As of 2022, Johnson owns three technology-development companies: Excellatron Solid State, LLC, Johnson Energy Storage, and Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems (JEMS). These companies operate in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. JEMS created the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter System (JTEC), which Popular Mechanics named one of the top 10 inventions of 2009. Johnson Energy Storage developed a solid-state battery and is raising funds in early 2023 to build a demonstration manufacturing line.
Johnson is part of a group of African American inventors whose work makes up 6 percent of all U.S. patent applications.
Super Soaker
Johnson first thought of the Super Soaker while working with the U.S. Air Force. The toy was first sold in 1990 under the name "Power Drencher." After some changes and marketing updates, it was renamed the Super Soaker. The toy sold for between $10 and $60, depending on the model. It became very popular, earning $200 million in sales in 1991. In February 1995, the company that made the Super Soaker, Larami Corporation, became part of Hasbro Inc.
Johnson made changes to the water gun’s design, replacing water with a Nerf projectile. This led to the creation of the N-Strike Nerf product line.
In February 2013, Johnson sued Hasbro because he found out he was not being paid enough money for the Super Soaker and some Nerf toys. In November 2013, Johnson received nearly $73 million in payments from Hasbro through a legal process called arbitration. Hasbro reported that the Super Soaker’s sales are close to reaching $1 billion.
Accomplishments
Johnson has more than 250 patents, many of which are for his Super Soaker. He received the Air Force Achievement Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He was honored by NASA for his work on spacecraft systems at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In 2008, he was given the Breakthrough Award by the science magazine Popular Mechanics for his work with JTEC. In 2011, he was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. In 2015, the Super Soaker was added to the National Toy Hall of Fame. In 2022, Johnson was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Mr. Johnson is married to Linda Moore. They have four children and live in the Ansley Park district of Atlanta, Georgia.