CARSON -- Dr. John L. Johnson, who began the Cal State Dominguez Hills Athletics Department in 1969 and was honored posthumously with the Dr. J Tribute Wall on February 9, 2020, added to the indelible imprint he left by leaving a donation of $106,859.23 to the Toro golf program.

This donation marks the second-largest individual donation to the Athletics Department, following Dr. J's previous contribution of $170,000 in 2013.  Overall, Dr. J has bestowed $310,559.23 to the department he spent nearly half his life serving.

"The Dominguez Hills golf program is honored to be a part of Dr. Johnson's final giving legacy, but his true legacy resides in the thousands of students, staff, peers, and friends he touched during his 97 years, from PGA Tour veterans to USGA Champions, NCAA Champions and All-Americans, the NFL and Football around the globe, and students who were uplifted everyday by his unique enthusiasm, humor, encouragement, and knowledge," begins Ron Eastman, CSUDH's current golf head coach who played for Dr. J during his collegiate career in Carson. "This final gift will enable the continuing education of the bright, future generations here at Dominguez Hills."

CSUDH Associate Vice President / Director of Athletics Dena Freeman-Patton echoed Eastman's remarks. "CSUDH Athletics and the men's golf program continue to be impacted by the legacy of Dr. John L. Johnson. This generous gift will help to shape the future of student-athletes for years to come."

Dr. J, CSUDH's first Athletics Director and head coach of the men's golf program from 1968-2013, founded the Toros' Athletics Department and coached the school's first intercollegiate team in golf, a position he held for 45 years.
 
He began his career as an Athletic Director at Cal Poly Pomona in 1966, serving in that capacity until 1968 when he came to Cal State Dominguez Hills to become the University's first athletic director and golf coach.  During that time, he coached four All-Americans, including Ryan Indovina, the first-ever Toro to qualify for the US Amateur in August of 2010.
 
Johnson was responsible for laying the groundwork for the Toros athletic program and, in the fall of 1968, formed the first intercollegiate team at CSUDH, the men's golf team.
 
A native of Bakersfield, Johnson has authored nearly a dozen books, including most recent publications A Tale of the Toro: Forty Years of Golf as a CS Dominguez Hills Toro for the Oldest Living Coach  (2010) and A Hula Bowl Coach Aloha: Salute to Hawai'i's Own Premiere All-Star College Football Game (2009), co-authored with J.C. Snead. 

Additionally, he taught graduate and undergraduate classes in the department of physical education, recreation and dance at CSUDH, with his teaching history chronicled on the Dr. J Tribute Wall.