The Legacy

The Ben D. Johnson Educational Center was founded by Claire Prymus in honor of her late uncle, Mr. Ben D. Johnson. Mr. Johnson was a successful, self-made business man. During the 1960’s, his holdings represented one of the largest minority-owned enterprises in the state of Louisiana. Businesses included Winnfield Funeral Homes, Winnfield Casket, Winnfield Life Insurance, BDJ Construction Company and real estate development.

Mr. Johnson built his home in 1959 in the center of the neighborhood he served, and lived there until his death in 2005. Mr. Johnson loved his community and gave of himself, his time and his earnings.

When residents could not get loans from banks to buy their first home or car, they went to Mr. Johnson. When a neighbor fell upon hard times and couldn’t make ends meet, they went to Mr. Johnson. When churches could not get support from financial institutions, they too went to Mr. Johnson.

Mr. Johnson was a philanthropist. He believed in the saying, “An idle mind is a playground for poor decisions and costly mistakes”. He thought if the youth in the neighborhood had something positive, productive and/or interesting to do after school, they would be less likely to get into trouble. He then built a ball park and started the first league in West Natchitoches. He built a boxing club on the “Square” at MLK and Ben Johnson Drive. He gave generously to his church First Baptist on North Street where he was a member for over 60 years.

Mr. Johnson believed in the City of Natchitoches, the community where he lived, the people who made up those neighborhoods and most importantly, the youth, who were his greatest concern. To continue Mr. Johnson’s legacy to support the people in Natchitoches, the Ben D. Johnson Educational Center (BDJ Center) was formed. The center’s main goal is to empower those within the community, who are 17 and up and SNAP eligible to reach their full potential. BDJ Center is composed of several programs designed to transform lives and build community in Natchitoches.