Union County has lost one of its leading historians.

Former Eastern Oregon University history professor Lee Johnson died Sunday morning in La Grande.

Johnson taught history at EOU from 1946 to 1977. He is best remembered for the influence he had on his students and an influential work he wrote about Union County's history.

"He was an outstanding teacher. He had an ability to make history come alive,'' said historian Jack Evans of La Grande, who earlier served as EOU's library director.

Johnson made history interesting by focusing on people, not textbook-dry dates and places.

"He was able to tell enough about the individuals that the people became real,'' Evans said.

In 1949 Johnson wrote "A Brief History of Union County," which remains a highly regarded work.

"Anybody studying the history of the area should read this first,'' Evans said. "It is the best introduction to the history of the area that you will find.''

Johnson was asked by Eastern President Roben Maaske to write the book but was reluctant at first to undertake the project.

"He did not want to do it. He could write beautifully but he thought of himself as a teacher first and a writer second,'' Evans said.

Johnson's book was written at a critical time, Evans said, because information was available then that can no longer be found today.

"We are all very grateful to Dr. Maaske for insisting that he write the book,'' Evans said.

The book is filled with interesting accounts of incidents important to Union County's history. Such color is critical to history because it breathes life into it.

"History should not be a dead subject,'' Evans said

Johnson and Evans were good friends.

"I will certainly miss him. He was always there when a good friend was needed,'' Evans said. "I admired him tremendously, as many other people did. He was a brilliant man.''

Services for Johnson are pending.

— Dick Mason