dʒˈɑːnsən ɐtˈɛndᵻd hˈaɪ skˈuːl æt lˈɔŋ bɹˈæntʃ hˈaɪ skˈuːl, ænd ˈæftɚ ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾɪŋ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi nˈaɪn ɐtˈɛndᵻd nˈuː jˈɔːɹk jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi fɚɹə ʃˈɔːɹt wˈaɪl.
Johnson attended high school at Long Branch High School, and after graduating in 1949 attended New York University for a short while.