Arte Johnson Papers, 1953-2022 | University of Illinois Archives

Adiminsrative/Biographical History: Arte Johnson (1929-2019) was a comedian who was best known for his appearances on the TV show, “Laugh-In,” a popular comedy show in the 60s and 70s. Arte was born in 1929 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Following graduation from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, with a B.A. in radio journalism in 1949, Arte entered the world of performing. In his words, “[he] actually entered show biz on a dare. [His] first audition was on [his] lunch hour. [He] couldn’t see because [he] took [his] glasses off and had no chance of getting nervous because [he] was afraid [he] might fall off the stage” (Alumni and Faculty Biographical File, 1882-1995; Record Series 26/4/1; Arte Johnson’s autobiographical sketch). His big break was Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, where he played several characters in a variety of skits. Arte’s career mainly spanned from the 60s through the 90s and into the early 2000s. He partook in a lot of celebrity social events, as well as philanthropic, many times with Gisela Johnson, his wife, who he married in 1968. Arte passed away in 2019, at the age of 90.