Who was Julia Emily Johnsen?

And why doesn't she have a Wikipedia page?

I came across her works in a recent search for background information. The Penn Library's Online Books Page offers links to 35 of her publications; The Internet Archive offers 90 results, 87 of which seem to be valid;  Amazon offers links to 92 (versions of her) publications; Google Books oddly returns only 7 results.

All of Johnsen's works, as far as I can tell, were published by the H.W. Wilson Company, which does have a Wikipedia page. And most of her publications were (annotated) compilations of works by other authors, published as part of the company's "Reference Shelf":

(though some seem to have been published before that series was started.)

Here's Johnson's introduction to Ku Klux Klan, 1923, which exemplifies her approach:

The Ku Klux Klan is an anomaly in American life. The extreme secrecy with which it is shrouded and the apparent spread of membership into the thousands in practically every state of the Union, with attempted entrance also into Canada and England, make it both difficult and important to bring into the open reliable facts and a clear comprehension of the inner nature of this extraneous social organism.

The present Ku Klux Klan embraces the organization founded in 1915 at Atlanta, Georgia, by Colonel William Joseph Simmons, professing to commemorate the historic Ku Klux Klan of reconstruction days. According to Colonel Simmons before the Rules Committee in Congress, its membership in 1921 was approximately ninety to ninety-five thousand. Its growth is augmented by a highly organized system of propaganda. Save for a few of the executive and organizing officials, its members are generally unknown. Among its late manifestations is the formation of an auxiliary woman’s division known as the “Kamelia,” and a movement styled the “Great American Fraternity” has also been ascribed to its activities.

The material on the Ku Klux Klan is frankly one¬sided. The press is, as a rule, hostile or at best neutral. For its defense one must go to such publications and statements as emar om within its own organism. A few organizatioi are actively combatting it. Foremost among these are the American Unity League, with offices at 127 North Dearborn Street, Chicago, which league also publishes a weekly paper “Tolerance,” and the American Civil Liberties Union, 100 Fifth Avenue, New York. The Catholic, negro, and Jewish organizations also oppose it.

The present pamphlet has been included in the Reference Shelf in response to a demand for reference material on this subject. The attempt has been made by the compiler to avoid bias and let the facts speak for themselves to the discriminating, as is in keeping with the established practice of the debaters’ series of publications. To this end representative material is included setting forth both the aims and defense of the Klan and the arguments of the opposition.

A search of newspapers.com turns up 277 references, none of which tell us anything about Johnsen herself. Rather, they are all references to her publications, mostly in the form of notices about additions to a local library, like this piece from p. 12 of the Arizona Republic 8/25/1924:

which lists 4 of her works:

ChatGPT gives a plausible summary of her work, but again tells us nothing about Johnsen herself:

Me: Who was Julia E Johnsen?

ChatGPT: Julia Emily Johnsen was an American editor and author active in the early to mid-20th century. She is best known for compiling and editing works on various social and political issues, often presenting multiple perspectives to facilitate informed debate. Her notable publications include "Selected Articles on the Negro Problem" (1921), "Debating the Ku Klux Klan" (1924), and "Palestine: Jewish Homeland?" (1946). These works served as valuable resources for students, debaters, and general readers interested in understanding complex societal topics.

The earliest publication bearing Johnsen's name seems to be dated 1911, suggesting that she was born no later than 1890. Her latest publication seems to be dated 1950.

I'd propose Julia Emily Johnsen as a candidate for the patron saint of Wikipedia, except that I can't prove that she actually existed as a person rather than a shared nom de plume. If you know anything about her, beyond her bibliography, please let me know.