Dorothea Johnson (1929-2025)

It is with profound sadness we share the news of the passing of our founder, Dorothea Johnson, on August 30, 2025. Her spirit, vision, and dedication to global standards for etiquette and protocol education shaped The Protocol School of Washington and through it the careers of generations of students.

In 1988, Dorothea Johnson had the foresight to launch the nation’s first school dedicated to etiquette and protocol believing that “soft skills” training for seasoned executives and young leaders was important.

She was an author of six books, including The Little Book of Etiquette and Modern Manners: Tools to Take You to the Top, the latter co-written with her granddaughter, actress Liv Tyler translated in eight languages.

According to Pamela Eyring, President of The Protocol School of Washington, Dorothea’s often repeated mantra was, that “it’s better to know proper etiquette and not need it, than to need it and not know it.” This attitude resonated deeply with those she taught.

Retiring in 2005, she continued to be a mentor for the school, which has since expanded globally, training more than 10,000 students in 90 countries.

Funeral arrangements will be private, but letters of condolence can be addressed to Family of Dorothea Johnson, P.O. Box 479, Yarmouth, ME 04096