William "Hootie" Johnson

William "Hootie" Johnson (born 1931) is the former chairman and current "Chairman Emeritus" of Augusta National Golf Club. He held the post from 1998 until May 5, 2006, when he was succeeded by Billy Payne, who ran the Atlanta Olympics.

Hootie grew up in South Carolina and attended Greenwood High School. After graduation he attended the University of South Carolina on a football scholarship.

After graduating, he came home and worked with his father at the Bank of Greenwood which eventually evolved into the State Bank and Trust Company, and subsequently was renamed Bankers Trust of South Carolina in 1969. By 1965, Johnson had assumed control of the bank, and under his leadership, Bankers Trust of South Carolina rose from obscurity to become a high-performance, widely respected bank. Johnson now serves as chairman of the executive committee at Bank of America, and is also a director of the company. He also serves on the boards of Duke Power, Liberty Corporation, and ALLTEL.

Hootie's financial and communication skills reached well beyond his banking profession. He was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives during 1957 and 1958. Later he was co-chairman of a committee to develop a plan for desegregation of South Carolina colleges and universities. He served on the Columbia Community Relations Council and was a board member of the Columbia Urban League and the National Urban League. He also was a trustee of Benedict College. Other positions held included chairman of the South Carolina State Ports Authority, chairman of the South Carolina Research Authority, and trustee of the University of South Carolina Business Partnership Foundation.