NJPAC In Newark Says $20 Million Gift Is Its Largest Ever

NEWARK, NJ — Late philanthropist Betty Wold Johnson first became a supporter of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) more than a decade ago. Now, courtesy of a $20 million donation to the Newark-based nonprofit, Johnson has earned a solemn and heartfelt “thank you” for making the largest gift in its history.

On Tuesday, NJPAC announced that Johnson, who died in May at the age of 99, has bequeathed a $20 million gift to its endowment fund.

Johnson made her bequest to the arts center’s ongoing capital campaign, now in its third year, which has raised $121 million towards its goal of $175 million.

It isn’t the first time that she dug deep for the sake of the arts; Johnson offered the NJPAC a gift of $11 million in 2008 – at that time, also its largest.

According to a statement from NJPAC, Johnson was the matriarch of the Johnson family, which founded Johnson & Johnson, the multinational medical device and healthcare product company, more than 130 years ago. Today, the company, headquartered in New Brunswick, employs more than 130,000 people.

Johnson is also the mother of Robert Wood Johnson IV, the former United States ambassador to the United Kingdom and the owner of the New York Jets football team, and of Christopher Johnson, CEO of the team.

“Mrs. Johnson was a remarkable woman – we will not see her like again,” NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber said, adding that the late philanthropist had a “mighty spirit and a big heart.”

“NJPAC is proud to be part of her lasting legacy,” Schreiber said.

Larry Goldman, the nonprofit’s inaugural president and CEO, recalled a conversation he had with Johnson when she first became a supporter more than a decade ago. According to Goldman, Johnson put forth a simple question: “What aspects of the Arts Center’s operations were hardest to fundraise for?”

“I told her the truth, which is that everybody wants to name a theater, but nobody wants to pay for maintenance,” he said.

Johnson’s reply? “I’m a housekeeper at heart … that’s exactly what I’d like to support.”

The philanthropist continued to support NJPAC throughout her lifetime, often traveling to visit the NJPAC campus from her home in Mercer County to tour the theaters or hear about upcoming initiatives. Through it all, she never asked for naming rights in exchange for her generosity – aside from joking that a plaque with her name on it might be placed outside a janitor’s closet.

But her time has come, NJPAC administrators said. In recognition of Johnson’s “extraordinary philanthropy,” the arts center has decided to name the stage of its largest theater, Prudential Hall, in her honor.

When NJPAC once again welcomes patrons to live, in-person performances after the current health crisis has abated, audiences will see this new name on the wall of the theater’s lobby and on the campus exterior, administrators said.

“Mom once said that the arts ‘feed the spirit’, and she would have been pleased and proud of this very fitting recognition for her long-time support of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,” said her sons, Woody and Christopher Johnson.

Former governor Tom Kean, one of NJPAC’s founders, said that he knew Johnson for at least a quarter of a century, and she was “the most generous person he knew.”

“But she wouldn’t ever just write a check,” Kean said. “She got interested in your work. She came to the arts center, she questioned us deeply, she wanted to know what we would use the money for. She was very thoughtful about giving.”

“She had to be convinced that the money would be well spent, and you didn’t get a cent from her until you showed her that,” Kean added.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know about a local organization that should be profiled, contact eric.kiefer@patch.com.

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