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