LAWTON, Okla_They have a
combined 66 years worth of teaching experience and now, two longtime former
educators and Lawton
community leaders will join the Oklahoma African-American Educators Hall of Fame.
The late H.C. King is one of those who will be inducted. He spent 22 years in
the Lawton Public School system. He was a social
science teacher, coach and athletic director. He retired in 1972 and passed
away in 1983.
Albert Johnson,
Senior, is the second. He spent 44 years with the Lawton Public School
system as a teacher, principal and deputy superintendent. He retired in 1994. Albert
Johnson, Senior said being an educator wasn't his initial goal. In his
mid-teens, he wanted to be like some of the other men in his family.
"I wanted
to go in the army. My father was in the army, I had two brothers serving, so I
wanted to go. They did not accept me because I have a handicap in my left hand
so they sent me back home."
Johnson said
encouraging words from people like H.C. King inspired him to go to college and
become an educator. In 1950, he began teaching at Douglass and instantly felt
at ease.
"At that
time I was trained to be a teacher but many of the students knew me. The
parents knew me and my parents are close by. I had resources in the
community."
James Reed, one
of Johnson's students at Douglass back in the 50's, remembers how Johnson
seemed to be everywhere.
"He was
the assistant of the football and basketball. He just did everything. He was
always helping people and doing things like that. No matter what it was you
could always go to him with a problem. If he couldn't solve them he would help
you to solve them."
That launched a
44 year career with the Lawton
Public School system in
which he created an after-school tutoring program and the young male mentorship
program for teenagers. In 1985, he became the Deputy Superintendent, a job
literally made for him.
"When I
became Superintendent in 1985 the first thing I did was create the Deputy Superintendent
and Albert Johnson filled it, he was that important," former Superintendent
Dick Neptune said, "he was the most senior key advisor that I had and his
advice was always good."
There is a
street named after Johnson and the park on 82nd and Cache Road is named
in his honor as well. It was Johnson's four decades of dedication to education
that led Cameron University President Cindy Ross to nominate him for the hall.
"I'm so
thrilled that he's been selected. Certainly no one is more deserving. Whether
it's his extraordinary professional career in education of 44 years starting as
a teacher, then as a principal and ending as deputy superintendent to just an
absolutely extraordinary life."
Both King and Johnson
will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on September 28th at the Oklahoma History
Center in Oklahoma City.
