Andrew P. Johnson was born at Voss, Norway, 1835. He is president and organizer of the Johnson Chair Company. He came to America with his parents in 1850, settling on a farm near Beloit, Wisconsin. He want to Beloit to learn to learn the trade of a carpenter. In 1861 he came to Chicago. The next year he was employed by the Federal government and was assigned to the construction corps in the Army, in which capacity he served until the end of the war, having worked at Nashville, Chattanooga, Bridgeport, and other places. Returning to Chicago after the war he took up his carpenter work again as a contractor and builder. In 1868 he went into partnership with Messrs. F. Herold and A. Borgmeier for the manufacture of chairs, the firm's name being Herold, Johnson & Borgmeier. He later bought out Mr. Herold's interest and in 1877 took in his brother Nels Johnson, the names of the firm becoming A. P. Johnson & Co. In 1883 they incorporated under the laws of the state of Illinois as the Johnson Chair Company of which our subject has been president, Nels Johnson, secretary and A. Borgmeier, treasurer. Mr. Borgmeier died in 1905, and 2Joseph F. Johnson our subject's oldest son, was elected treasurer of the company.

Mr. Johnson was the organizer of the Mt. Olive Cemetary Association, has been director of the State Bank of Chicago since it was organized in 1891, he is president of the Wicker Park Safety Deposit Vault Company and a director of the Asbestos Sod Iron Company of Canal Dover, Ohio. He has always been a staunch Republican and has represented the fourteenth ward in the city council in 1889-1891.

He is one of the founders of the Norwegian Old Peoples Home and was its president for two years. He was also among the first to help build and maintain the Tabitha Hospital and the Deaconess Home and Hospital, having served on the building committee of both. He is a member of the Wicker Park English Lutheran Church and chairman of the beard of trustees. He is also a member of the A.O.U.W.