Herrick Johnson (1832–1913) was a leading nineteenth-century American Presbyterian clergyman, academic, and religious writer. Born in Auriesville, New York, he pursued his early classical education before graduating from Hamilton College in 1857. He subsequently completed his divinity studies at the Auburn Theological Seminary in 1860. Shortly after his graduation, in September of that year, he married Katherine Spencer Hardenburg and began his formal ministerial career.
Johnson's pastoral work took him to several influential pulpits across the United States, including Presbyterian churches in Troy, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Beyond his local pastoral duties, he was a dedicated educator of future ministers, returning to teach at his alma mater, the Auburn Theological Seminary, and later holding a professorship at the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.
His administrative and spiritual leadership within his denomination was highly recognized, culminating in 1882 when he was elected moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Known for his powerful rhetoric and theological contributions, Johnson was widely read and respected during his lifetime. His enduring influence as a religious communicator is highlighted by his extensive inclusion in the 1895 compilation, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers.
