Legendary Journalist Chuck Johnson Honored with Plaque at Montana State Capitol

The ceremony and unveiling of the plaque will be held on March 21, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 303, the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

• March 04 2025

A plaque honoring the late Charles S. “Chuck” Johnson, Montana’s longest serving statehouse reporter, will be unveiled at the State Capitol, March 21, 2025. The ceremony is slated to take place from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 303, the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

“It’s fitting and necessary that we pay tribute with this plaque to the longest serving statehouse reporter, historian, and dean of Montana journalism, the late Chuck Johnson,” said state Senator Mary Ann Dunwell. “I have been honored and humbled to be able to work with others to make this dedication possible for a person who lived each day with integrity, humility, and boundless curiosity.”

Johnson passed away unexpectedly in March 2023 at age 74. After his retirement in 2015, he served on many boards, including the Montana Historical Society and most recently the Montana Free Press.

Born in Great Falls, Chuck moved to Helena with his family as a child. He attended Helena High School where he took his first assignments as a reporter writing for the student newspaper. He won a scholarship to the University of Montana and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in history from UM.

It was as a graduate student that Johnson covered the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention for the Associated Press, one of his defining assignments as a reporter. He eventually covered 22 Montana legislative sessions and seven governors throughout his career.

“Chuck was not only a lifelong standard-bearer for tough, fair news coverage in Montana, but also played a direct role in mentoring and encouraging scores of other reporters to follow in his footsteps,” said Mike Dennison, a longtime colleague of Chuck’s. 

Johnson was known for his love of language, his sense of fairness, and a passion for history and politics. The University of Montana named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 1993, and the Montana State University awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2022.

“Chuck Johnson was a champion of the public’s constitutional right to know what their government is doing,” said Sen. Laura Smith, SD 40, who along with Sen. Dunwell, sponsored the legislation that has made the plaque possible. “Johnson’s 45-year reporting legacy will live on thanks to his generous gift of time mentoring the next generation of Montana journalists.”

As stipulated by the legislation, the Montana Historical Society has overseen the production and installation of the plaque.

“We hope that when legislators, journalists, and the general public pass by the plaque, that they’ll recall and emulate the gifts of honesty and integrity that Chuck shared with everyone who was lucky enough to spend time with him – even those whose feet he held to the fire,” said Molly Kruckenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society. “He truly was a historical Montana treasure.”

 For more information, contact Ginny Sullivan, 406-444-4013, virginia.sullivan@mt.gov.