Wally Johnson, director of the Mason Enterprise Center’s (MEC) Mentor-Protégé and Procurement Technical Assistance programs, had come a long way from his roots when his hometown asked him to come back for a celebration in his honor. The request came in the form of a phone call from the director of the Oklahoma City Public Schools’ board of trustees.

“He introduced himself and said that I had been selected to receive the Oklahoma City Public Schools Hall of Fame Humanitarian Award,” Johnson says. “I didn’t know the award existed at that time and I said, ‘Are you sure you got the right Wally Johnson?’”

Johnson’s humble nature comes through when he talks about the award, which “honors outstanding [Oklahoma City Public School] alumni and community leaders who through their lives have added dramatically to the quality of life in our city, state and nation.”

“Getting that call was one of those very pleasant surprises. I guess they felt I fit the description of what they were looking for,” says Johnson, who flew home to attend the award reception on Oct. 28.

Johnson grew up in a family of 10 children in a poor inner-city environment and was the second African American to get accepted into the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship. During his sophomore year, he earned the highest academic average among all OU student athletes with a 3.71 grade point average.

Upon graduation, Johnson was commissioned through the OU Reserve Officers Training Corps Program in 1961 and began a 23-year military career.

He began working in academia in 1985 and became a consultant to the MEC in 1995. A few years later, he took over in his current position. Johnson says that he enjoys his work, which allows him to work with small business owners. “We stay busy here at the center interfacing with the community,” he says. “It is a major portion of our job.”