Robert Kirthwood "Lefty" Johnson (August 28, 1910- November 4, 1971) was the pioneer financial officer of Bob Jones University and the first biographer of Bob Jones, Sr. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Johnson was orphaned at eight years of age and placed in the Odd Fellows Home where he remained until he was nineteen.
He worked in the automotive shop of the orphanage and eventually took charge of the equipment and purchased supplies for the home.
[1] Arriving at Bob Jones College in 1931, Johnson became a student leader and was elected president of the senior class.
He remained in that position for the rest of his life, with virtually his only formal business training that provided by John Sephus Mack, the president of G.C.
His “pay-as-you-go” policy played a significant role in allowing the unendowed BJU to survive the loss of its federal tax exemption in the 1980s.