William "Hootie" Johnson facts for kids

William Woodward "Hootie" Johnson (born February 16, 1931 – died July 14, 2017) was an important American businessman. He was known for leading the executive committee at Bank of America. He also served as the chairman of the famous Augusta National Golf Club.

Early Life and Family

William Johnson was born in 1931 in Augusta, Georgia. He grew up in Greenwood, South Carolina. He went to the University of South Carolina. He attended college on a scholarship to play football.

Johnson was married to Pierrine Johnson. They had four daughters. He also had ten grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 86.

Banking Career

After college, Johnson started working at his father's bank. This bank was called the Bank of Greenwood. Over time, it grew and changed its name. It became Bankers Trust of South Carolina in 1969.

By 1965, Johnson was in charge of the bank. Under his leadership, Bankers Trust became a very successful bank. Later, Johnson became the chairman of the executive committee at Bank of America. He also served on the boards of other big companies. These included Duke Power and Alltel.

Leading Augusta National Golf Club

Hootie Johnson was a very important person at the Augusta National Golf Club. This is where the famous Masters golf tournament is held. He was the chairman from 1998 to 2006.

During his time, he made big changes to the golf course. He also allowed the entire 18-hole tournament to be shown on TV for the first time. He also updated the rules for how players could qualify for the Masters. After his time as chairman, Billy Payne took over.

Public Service and Community Work

Johnson also served in government. He was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1957 to 1958. He also helped lead Benedict College, which is a historically black college.

He worked with the National Urban League. This group helps fight for civil rights. Johnson also helped create a plan to make colleges in South Carolina open to everyone. In 1975, he received an award for being an outstanding citizen.

Johnson supported African-Americans running for public office. As a banker, he made sure to include African-Americans and women on his company's boards. He also helped minority groups get loans.

After a sad event in 1968, where students were killed during protests, Johnson worked on a plan. This plan was to make sure all colleges in the state were desegregated. He was also the first businessman to push for the Confederate flag to be removed from the state house in Columbia.

Johnson also led other important groups. He was chairman of the South Carolina State Ports Authority. He also led the South Carolina Research Authority.