Hall of Fame
Harry Bernard Johnson was born in Tip Top, Virginia, on August 21, 1940. He was raised, by his aunt, Mrs. Addie (Revels) Hairston and her husband James, in Bluefield, West Virginia, where at Park Central High School his basketball skills were first noticed. Mr. Johnson was the star player on teams that won two state championships and achieved both regional and national success, leading to his selection as a High School All-American. After multiple offers to play basketball at the collegiate level, including the possibility of becoming the first African-American to play basketball for West Virginia University, he chose to attend Morgan State College in 1958.
During his Morgan State College basketball career, Mr. Johnson was a four year starter and was elected captain of the 1960-62 teams. He finished his career second on the all-time career points list with 1,500 points, just forty points shy of the all-time record at the time. Almost fifty years later, and without the benefit of the three point shot, Mr. Johnson still ranks eighth on the Morgan State all-time career points list, fourth on the top career scoring averages list (20.0 ppg), and holds three of the top ten single game scoring records (46, 37 and 33 points).
Mr. Johnson is also one of only five Morgan State College basketball players to ever be selected to the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) All-Conference team. During a time when the CIAA consisted of more than twenty institutions (1954 – 1965), only five players were selected by conference coaches as the best in the conference. In recognition of his outstanding abilities, Mr. Johnson was selected to the 1960 and 1962 CIAA All-Conference teams, becoming second of only two Morgan State players to earn that distinction.
After serving as a member of the Morgan State Reserve Officers’ Training (ROTC) program and being designated a Distinguished Military Graduate, Mr. Johnson was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1962.
After an illustrious military career, including service in the Vietnam War and the receipt of many military awards and citations, including the Legion of Merit and three Bronze Stars, Mr. Johnson retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Army and accepted a position with the World Bank in 1983. He eventually rose to be the first African-American Senior Manager in World Bank history. He also continued his educational pursuits obtaining a M.P.A from Central Michigan State and a M.A. from Wichita State University.
Mr. Johnson currently resides in Washington, DC. He has been inducted in the MSU Military ROTC Hall of Fame and the Black West Virginians Hall of Fame. He enjoys lecturing on black history and mentoring young black men at every opportunity.
