Alabama university shooting ended life of Wash. U. alum
By Freida L. Wheaton For The St. Louis American
The latest mass shooting happened at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. It piqued my interest because it was at a university – in a state next to my home state of Mississippi, where I knew a lot of people. It was soon reported that the shooter, a female biology professor, had been apprehended. She had shot other biology professors – three injured, three dead.
Around 11 p.m. the dead were named. One was familiar to me. I said the name over and over in my mind, and said it out loud: “Adriel Johnson. Professor Adriel Johnson.”
Then, I remembered his face. I remembered his name, Adriel – an unusual name for a man, I thought. Lyrical, memorable. I kept saying his name out loud and seeing his face. He was a slightly built man, reddish brown skin, focused yet somewhat sleepy eyes, cute.
I saw Adriel on campus, on the South Forty, in the Coop, in Olin, on the flag football field. Adriel had been at Washington University as an undergraduate student when I was in graduate school.
There were only a handful of black graduate students at Wash. U. in the mid-to-late ‘70s. I was one of them; Michael Combs and Augustus “Gus” Jones were others. We were the three black students pursuing Ph.D.s in political science in Eliot Hall.
There were more black undergraduates – maybe a few handfuls. But there were not many, and we all knew each other – the undergrads and the graduate students, without distinction. Neither group could afford to be isolationist 35 years ago.
We were too few, and so for the most part we were all friends. We hung out together, we went to house parties together. We played Bid Whist and Spades together. The guys played flag football together, and the girls watched.
Fundamentally, however, we studied together. Each person knew that education was paramount, that we were there for the core reason of getting a good education. Everybody at Wash. U. were academic achievers. We partied hard; we studied hard. Adriel studied hard.
Early that Sunday morning, I sent an email to Cynthia Cosby, who keeps the Black Wash. U. family together. I sent her this statement from CNN online: “Garner identified the dead as Gopi Podila, chairman of the biological sciences department; Maria Davis, associate professor of biology; and Adriel Johnson, associate professor of biology.”
I was crying profusely as I pushed the “send” button. I really wanted to call her, to call somebody else who knew Adriel, or who might have known him, someone who had the Wash. U. connection 30 years ago – but it was after midnight. So, I cried alone.
And, I sent Cynthia this short sketch of Adriel’s education and work:
“JOHNSON, ADRIEL D., B.A. (Washington University, St. Louis), M.S. (Tennessee Technological University), M.S. (University of Alabama in Huntsville), Ph.D. (North Carolina State University). Campus Director, Alabama Alliance for Minority Participation and Bridge Program and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, 1989. Research Interest: Cellular mechanisms regulating digestive function, neural control of pancreatic secretions in domestic animals.”
Adriel became what we knew he would – a man who continued to pursue education, who shared his knowledge with others, who mentored minority students, and who made major contributions to humanity through his work.
I learned through other media coverage that Adriel was a father of two sons, and that he was a Boy Scout leader at his church.
I have not seen Adriel in over three decades, and I may have spoken with him once or twice over those years, but I miss him. He was family.
The Dr. Adriel D. Johnson, Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established. Make checks payable to The Foundation for Excellence at UAHuntsville and mail to: Office of Advancement, 318 Shelbie King Hall, The University of Alabama at Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899. You may also give online at: http://www.uah.edu/update/scholarships.php.