Marshall B. Johnson (1938-) is an industrial designer who worked for some of the most well-known small appliance companies, designed many popular consumer products, and often did graphic and packaging design. He was born in Mineola, Long Island, New York, on December 5, 1938. He was the oldest of four children born to Madeline Ramsauer Johnson (1909-2005) and Loyal Johnson (1904-1999). By the fourth grade, Johnson had begun building model cars, singing in school and church choirs, and learning to play the trombone. Later he began designing and building model cars, which became a lifelong hobby, and for which he won several awards. After reading a U.S. government career pamphlet, he became interested in Industrial Design in 1952. An unfortunate accident in his high school chemistry class left him blind in one eye, but that did not deter him from pursuing his dream of being an industrial designer. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1960 with a BFA in Industrial Design and a minor in art education.

Following graduation, Johnson became the first staff designer hired by Black and Decker, working seven years in Towson, Maryland, as their package engineer/product designer. In 1967 he moved to Pittsburgh to join the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) corporate design staff, where he designed an oceanographic ship, the Alcoa Seaprobe, the ALCOA Center Engineering Research Building, furniture, and numerous products using aluminum. In 1971, Johnson was transferred to the ALCOA's cookware subsidiary, Wear-Ever Aluminum, Inc., in Chillicothe, Ohio. It was there he designed cookware and small appliances, such as the first hot air corn popper, electric food gun (Super Shooter), and kabob cooker (Kabob-It and Kabob 2), to name a few. He also designed products for ALCOA's Alcas/Cutco Division in Olean, New York. He worked with the famous industrial designer, Thomas Lamb (1896-1988), to use Lamb's revised handle for a line of Wear-Ever's cookware.

ALCOA then sold Wear-Ever to Wesray Products, Inc., in 1982. In July/August of 1983, Wesray also acquired the Proctor-Silex Division of SCM Corporation, a manufacturer of kitchen appliances, and changed its name to Proctor-Silex, Inc. Shortly afterward, Wesray merged the two companies into one - WearEver-ProctorSilex, Inc. In 1988, the merged companies were, in turn, acquired by NACCO Industries, Inc., and moved to Glenn Allen, near Richmond, Virginia. The Wear-Ever brand and cookware division was sold to Mirro/Newell in January 1989. NACCO Industries, Inc. purchased Hamilton Beach, Inc. from Glen Dimplex of Ireland in 1990 and consolidated as Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex, Inc. After Wear-Ever was sold, Johnson stayed with Proctor-Silex through these various mergers until he retired from Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex in 2001. Despite these companies' tumultuous history, Johnson continued to be successful in his career. He holds twenty-five design patents and one mechanical patent.

In addition to his busy career, Johnson's professional interests also led him to serve on the board of the IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America) and as chair of the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic chapters of the IDSA at various times. Before retiring, he established two IDSA design advisory sections and provided custom product models for over forty-five housewares industry shows. His numerous volunteer activities included many projects involving young people, among them, Black Youth Achievement, Junior Achievement, Project Business for eighth and ninth graders, chairing Sea and Explorer Scout Groups, speaking to and working with high school and college classes about careers in industrial design, and also serving on school board advisory councils. He was very active with the Jaycees, serving in many high-level positions, and he served on the Boards of the Southern Ohio Speech and Hearing Center and the Goodwill. He volunteered for the Hanover (Virginia) Habitat for Humanity and the Central Virginia Food Bank and served on church mission committees. In addition, he remained active in his musical interests, playing in and managing a jazz quartet and helping to organize community concert bands.

Johnson married Katherine Wright in 1964, and they had two daughters.