The Ardalia & Willie Johnson Legacy Scholarship
The Ardalia & Willie Johnson Legacy Scholarship for Law and Criminal Justice
Ardalia (née Chadwick) and Willie Johnson, Sr. were well known in their Butler College community in Tyler, Texas. This was the neighborhood where my grandfather was raised and where he attended college. This tightknit community is also where they chose to raise their seven children.
Both of my grandparents were active members in the community and their children’s activities. From leading Boy Scout troops to coaching baseball and serving in their church, everyone knew and loved the Johnson family. The importance of an education was instilled in all of the children. They were an integral part of the Emmett J. Scott High School family, the city’s high school for Blacks during segregation. They also sponsored the senior picnic for the school’s graduates.
While my grandmother did not attend college, she was heavily involved in the education community in Tyler serving in various capacities at the elementary, middle and high school. She was a leader and organized the Butler College Extension Homemakers Club as well as assisted in the integration of Robert E. Lee High School. When her children were of school age, she became the cafeteria manager with Tyler Independent School District.
After serving in the military and playing professional baseball in the Negro Leagues, my grandfather became well known as one of the first Black police officers in the Tyler Police Department, he held roles in patrol, the warrant division and with community relations. And like his wife, he enjoyed working with the youth as a Boy Scout Troop Leader and baseball coach for boys. After retirement, he worked in security at Texas College, an HBCU located in Tyler, TX.