He revived the struggling paper, sold it to a competitor and used the profits to obtain his journalism degree from the University of Kentucky in 1922.

After graduation, he became editor of The Anderson News, and in 1925, he accepted an offer to co-publish and edit the Richmond Daily Register.

Keen Johnson was born in a two-room cabin at Brandon's Chapel in Lyon County, Kentucky, on January 12, 1896.

[2][5] In August 1917, he was appointed second lieutenant and assigned to the 354th Infantry, 89th Division of the American Expeditionary Forces at Camp Funston.

[4][5] He was promoted to first lieutenant on March 29, 1918, and on June 4, 1918, he was deployed to France, where he studied logistical communications at the Army School of the Line and the Staff College.

[5] After graduation, Johnson purchased half-ownership of The Anderson News and served as the paper's editor and publisher.

[4] In 1925, Shelton M. Saufley asked Johnson to enter into a joint venture to purchase the Richmond Daily Register.

"Happy" Chandler defeated Tom Rhea, the candidate favored by sitting governor Ruby Laffoon.

[7] Johnson had also favored Rhea, and had backed Robert T. Crowe over J. C. W. Beckham, Chandler's choice in the 1927 Democratic primary.

Brown gained the support of Chandler critics, notably former governor Ruby Laffoon, Tom Rhea, Earle C. Clements, and Alben Barkley.

[3] United States Senator M. M. Logan died in October 1939, and Governor Chandler resigned so that Johnson—thus elevated to governor—could appoint him to the vacant seat.

"[10] Louisville Courier-Journal reporter Howard Henderson wrote several stories exposing corruption in Johnson's administration, including a significant one dealing with laundry contracts.

Hubert Meredith, Johnson's politically ambitious attorney general, freely aired his concerns about the administration, gaining recognition for himself from the publicity generated.

Historian James C. Klotter opined "It is doubtful whether Johnson's administration had any more political scandal than others, but the publicity made it seem that way.

"[10] In the 1940 legislative session, Johnson successfully lobbied the General Assembly to allocate money to a teacher retirement system that had previously been authorized but left unfunded.

Other accomplishments of the session included the provision of pensions for justices on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, creation of soil conservation districts in the state, and banning the sale of marijuana.

[1] These improvements began under Governor Chandler, and while Johnson stated that the mental hospitals and prisons were in their best condition in forty years by the end of his term, he was disappointed that he was not able to do more.

[12] In the 1942 legislative session, Johnson stressed the importance of allowing Kentucky cities to purchase and distribute power from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

[1] Despite the fact that the U.S. Constitution requires redistricting after every decennial census, Kentucky's legislative districts had remained virtually unchanged between 1893 and 1941.

[13] He also ridiculed Kilgore, who had strong support from the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Rural Electric Association, and the Farm Bureau, by calling him a "Casanova".

[5] [15] On January 1, 1944, he was named a special assistant to the president of Reynolds Metals, advising him on postwar unemployment problems.

[6] Johnson developed a strong rapport with union leaders and in 1946, President Harry S. Truman and Kentucky Senator Alben Barkley asked him to accept an appointment to the newly created post of Undersecretary of Labor.

[5] In this capacity, he organized meetings of sales executives and traveled extensively to promote the company's aluminum products.

Brown, Sr. in the Democratic primary, but was unable to unseat Republican incumbent John Sherman Cooper in the general election.