About Merritt Johnson

Merritt Johnson (1902-1978) was a teacher, composer, organist, and pianist. Much of his forty-five year career was spent teaching at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. His compositions from the early 1900s to the late 1970s represent styles and genres rich with melodic appeal and diverse rhythmic patterns that Johnson credited to the African rhythms of the 1960s.

About the Physical Collection

Held by the UNT Music Library, the physical collection consists of six boxes of Merritt Johnson's compositions, mainly in manuscript form or printed with the Musicwriter typewriter, as well as correspondence, music sketchbooks, and materials related to donor Susan Vaughan's efforts to preserve Johnson's music and pedagogy. To learn more, please see our finding aid.

About the Digital Collection

The digital collection contains a selection of Johnson's musical scores and related audio recordings.



At a Glance



Cite This Collection

Here is our suggested citation. Consult an appropriate style guide for conformance to specific guidelines.

Merritt Johnson Collection in UNT Digital Library. University of North Texas Libraries. https://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/MRTJC/ accessed May 11, 2024.


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