Willard L. Johnson, Population Control Expert, Dies at 80

Willard L. Johnson, an international advocate of population growth controls, died at his Hillcrest home last week. He was 80. Memorial Services will be at 2 p.m. July 6 at First Unitarian Church.

Johnson, who had lived in San Diego County for 20 years, was a former executive director of Planned Parenthood of San Diego and a past president of the United Nations Assn. of San Diego. After his retirement in 1970, he formed and operated the Population Information Center from offices in his home.

After World War II, Johnson served as a consultant to the U.S. State Department in Germany and later served as secretary-general to the Council on World Tensions of the World Brotherhood headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1958, he returned to the United States to become president of the Committee for International Economic Growth in Washington, then returned to Europe to become mission chief and international liaison for CARE in West Berlin and Geneva.

In 1962 he became executive director of the Unitarian-Universalist Service Committee in Boston and also later served as executive director of the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation in Washington.

Johnson was the author of numerous articles and books dealing with human relations, foreign aid and trade, world hunger, international development, nutrition, mental health, population and family planning, and also was a popular lecturer.

Survivors include his wife Marjorie and two children.