Arthur L. "Bud" Johnson, Jr.was born and raised in the
Rockford, Illinois area. Following service in the Army during the second world war he held several sales positions with Coleman Company and Queen Stove Company among others.
He returned to Rockford and was a distributor of appliances and cabinet work to home builders. He later developed a tapping system which is still popular in the beverage industry.
In 1990 Bud established The Arthur L. “Bud” Johnson in
Memory of Elaine V. Johnson Foundation. Elaine was Bud's beloved wife.
Bud had a life-long love of German Shepherd dogs and loved seeing them put to use to help people. He began making grants to assist organizations providing German Shepherd guide dogs. Over time, Bud expanded to Foundation's focus include other dog breeds and handicap assistance animals in general. He also expanded the Foundation's mission to include funding nature conservation and the preservation of wildlife.
Bud passed away in 1997 and left the majority of his estate to the Foundation. We are proud to continue his good work. The Foundation has helped many of organizations realize their goals, and we’re proud to be part of their stories.
