National Science Foundation Nomination of Francis Severin Johnson To Be an Assistant Director.

The President today announced that he will nominate Francis Severin Johnson, of Dallas, Tex., to be an Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation. He would replace John B. Slaughter, resigned, and his area of responsibility would be astronomical, atmospheric, Earth and ocean sciences.

Johnson is the Cecil H. and Ida M. Green honors professor of natural sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas and also serves as executive dean of graduate studies and research.

He was born July 20, 1918, in Omak, Wash. He received a B.S. in physics from the University of Alberta (Canada) in 1940, and an M.A. (1942) and Ph.D. (1958) in meteorology from the University of California at Los Angeles.

From 1946 to 1955, Johnson was head of the High Atmosphere Research Section of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. From 1955 to 1962, he was manager of space physics research at Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. From 1962 to 1964, he was head of the atmospheric and space sciences division of the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies in Dallas. He was director of the Earth and Planetary Sciences Laboratory from 1964 to 1969.

Johnson has been a professor of natural sciences at the University of Texas since 1969. He has also served as acting president of the university from 1969 to 1971, and as director of the Center for Advanced Studies there from 1971 to 1974. From 1968 to 1972, he also served as director of the Space Sciences Center at Southern Methodist University.

Johnson's area of research is upper atmosphere and space physics, planetary science, solar radiation, and synoptic and physical meteorology. He has been a consultant to a number of NASA and NSF committees and has received NASA's Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.