Oct. 14—MANHATTAN — Three generations of service to the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York by a Watertown family were honored Tuesday at a dinner hosted by the agency.

When John B. Johnson Jr. was appointed to DASNY on Oct. 15, 2001, he continued a legacy of 78 years of service by the Johnson family to DASNY's 11-member board of directors through the tenures of 11 New York state governors.

Tuesday's dinner at Capital Grille Restaurant was to honor Mr. Johnson, chairman of Johnson Newspaper Corp. and co-publisher of the Watertown Daily Times, who has stepped down from his volunteer post on the DASNY board of directors, ending, what DASNY called in an 18-point resolution presented at the dinner, "a unique and remarkable legacy of service by the Johnson family."

"He was unique on the board in the sense that he gave every decision context and perspective," board member Jonathan H. Gardner, Buffalo, a lawyer at the firm Kavinoky Cook, LLP, said in a phone interview. "He was the voice in the room that had the big picture. As soon as he put things in context, nine out of 10 times, everybody knew what to do. He was that influential."

Mr. Johnson's father, the late John B. Johnson, served on the board for 44 years, beginning in 1956, including 20 years as chairman. His grandfather, Harold B. Johnson, was one of the board's original members in 1944 and served until his death in 1949.

The Dormitory Authority is a public-benefit corporation that finances and provides construction assistance for building projects for government and nonprofit institutions. It receives no money from the state general fund, getting its funding from fees charged for its services.

The tax-exempt interest rates on DASNY-issued bonds are typically lower than commercial loan rates and those of taxable bonds.

As an example of its wide-ranging mission, from libraries to hospitals, in May, DASNY released two requests for proposals relating to the Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program that was included in the 2023 state budget. It was part of the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, with the RFPs able to help with such things as identifying suitable locations for dispensaries and acquiring or leasing the space for the dispensaries.

In 1944, Gov. Thomas E. Dewey signed legislation creating DASNY for the purpose of financing and constructing dormitories at 11 state teachers' colleges. It's now a national leader in the municipal bond market and clients include some of the nation's most prestigious institutions from a range of endeavors: health care, scientific research, education and resiliency and sustainability

Mr. Johnson said his grandfather became involved in DASNY because in 1944, when World War II was winding down, it was clear that American soldiers returning from war would be going to college, but the state's dormitory situation for those soldiers was lacking.

"Life and politics being what it is, the Legislature couldn't agree on how to do it," Mr. Johnson said on Wednesday. However, a compromise was reached.

"They created an independent authority with the ability to sell bonds that would be guaranteed by the revenue stream of people renting the dormitory rooms," Mr. Johnson said.

He said his grandfather was especially interested in development at Oswego State Teachers College, which in 1948 became one of SUNY's charter members, and Potsdam Normal School, which also joined the SUNY system that year. At SUNY Oswego, Johnson Hall, rededicated about a dozen years ago, is named after Harold.

"The family has always been dedicated to what's good for the north country," Mr. Johnson said. "The more educational opportunities in the north country, means more opportunities for people."

Mr. Johnson, who in 2013, stepped down from direct oversight as CEO of Johnson Newspapers, was confirmed by the state Senate to the DASNY board in 2001 after being appointed by Gov. George E. Pataki. Since then, DASNY has worked with governors Eliot Spitzer, David A, Patterson, Andrew M. Cuomo and Kathleen C. Hochul.

"We apparently passed the muster of all ilk of politicians — left and right, both extremes," Mr. Johnson said. "It was just something the family was interested in and apparently, we made a contribution because they kept asking us to continue to do it."

Mr. Johnson accepted key leadership roles on the DASNY board, including from 2013 as vice chairman and from 2010 chairman of the Governance Committee, positions he held until stepping down.

The resolution unveiled Tuesday highlighted Mr. Johnson's "unique understanding of New York state and upstate perspective," which was enhanced by his service to such groups as the Development Authority of the North Country, Syracuse regional Airport Authority and the SUNY Upstate Medical University Council.

"I always maintained I brought a north country, rural upstate New York perspective," Mr. Johnson said.

That rural perspective is now reduced on the board.

"The Albany region and the state bureaucracy certainly has a lot of representatives," Mr. Johnson said. "From the perspective of people who are independent of operation of the state, who are not elected, there's only a few of us."

But Mr. Johnson believes one fact remains for the DASNY board that will lead to its continued success.

"What distinguishes the Dormitory Authority is its exceptionally professional management and the fact that it's been doing a first-class job for New Yorkers for its entire length of service," he said. "There's a lot of things going on in New York that they've made a big difference on. It's a well-managed organization with a very good staff."

Mr. Gardner, appointed to the board in 2014, said "community pillars" like Mr. Johnson are a big part of that success.

"They're a bedrock," he said. "In each generation, there are different community leaders, but his generation and approach to being a leader and taking responsibility for his city and community — it was always selfless."