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September 28, 2026
Sean Doherty

Northwestern’s Division of Business Renamed in Honor of Dave Johnson Family, Receives Honorary Degree

Business faculty, members of the Johnson family and students stand together in a hallway beneath a black sign with white letters reading "Johnson Family Division of Business." A man near the center of the front row holds a black diploma cover with a gold seal. Yellow tile lines the lower walls, with a wooden display case of framed black-and-white photographs at left and framed certificates at right. — A group business faculty, along with the Johnson Family, and students gather to rename the Division of Business to Johnson Family Division of Business.

ALVA, Okla. — Northwestern Oklahoma State University administrators honored Dave Johnson and his wife, Louise, during a recent ceremony to rename the Division of Business to the Johnson Family Division of Business. Johnson also received an honorary Doctorate of Science and Business Leadership, the first honorary doctorate issued by Northwestern, and only the fifth honorary degree issued in the university’s history. The Tulsa businessman and long-time advocate of Northwestern made a total investment of $1 million, which went into scholarships, physical building updates in Jesse Dunn, along with technology updates.

A native of Alva, Johnson earned two years of credit at Northwestern before graduating from the University of Oklahoma. Despite earning his degree elsewhere, he has always considered Alva and Northwestern home.

Upon graduating, Johnson passed the CPA exam and spent six years working in public accounting. In 1982, he moved into the private sector achieving extraordinary success across multiple industries, including oil and gas, commercial real estate, and trucking and equipment.

Johnson’s investment in scholarships will continue to support many students throughout their academic careers at Northwestern.

“The David Johnson Scholarship has been a huge financial relief for me and has allowed me to focus more on my academics and involvement on campus rather than worrying about financial stress,” said Barrett Brown, a junior from Liberty. “It has also given me encouragement to continue pursuing my goals in business and make the most of my time at Northwestern. I’m very grateful for Mr. Johnson’s generosity, and having had the opportunity to meet and talk with him a few times, I know how deserving he is of this recognition. He is a great guy who genuinely cares about Northwestern and its students, and I’m thankful to be one of the students who has benefited from his generosity.”

Building updates feature new Zoom room equipment to support students at the Enid, Woodward and Ponca City locations. Additional enhancements include new furniture, carpet and paint for classrooms and faculty offices.

Dr. Bo Hannaford, right, presents Dave Johnson, center, with a diploma cover for his honorary Doctorate of Science and Business Leadership as the two shake hands. Johnson's wife, Louise, stands at left in a blue, red and white patterned dress. All three smile in a classroom with white walls, black window blinds, white tables and black chairs. — Dr. Bo Hannaford (right) presents Dave Johnson with his honorary Doctorate of Science and Business Leadership, the first honorary doctorate issued by Northwestern, along with Johnson's wife, Louise.

“This is a wonderful gift that will help our students achieve their goals here at Northwestern Oklahoma State University,” said Dr. Bo Hannaford, university president. “The Johnsons are all in with Northwestern and I can’t thank them enough for this investment in our students and facilities. Students in business administration and accounting are in high demand across the state. This investment will put our students in a great position moving forward.”

Johnson joins only four other individuals throughout Northwestern’s nearly 130-year history to be awarded an honorary degree. The previous four all received Master of Laws degrees. The first went to Harold Hamm, an oilman, philanthropist and higher education advocate formerly of Enid, in May 1997. In May 1998, three additional men were awarded this honorary degree: Larry Hammer, a longtime Cherokee newspaper publisher and co-founder of the Jiffy Trip convenience store chain; Bert Mackie, a longtime Enid banker, community leader and higher education advocate; and Bob Reneau, a retired Alva businessman and long-time stalwart of the Northwestern Foundation.

To learn about degrees available and more, visit the Johnson Family Division of Business at Northwestern webpage, or contact Dr. Garret Lahr, chair and assistant professor of business, at 580-327-8510 or galahr@nwosu.edu.

-NW-

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