Maurice Ward is a South Phoenix native. He is a seasoned veteran, lay leader, and mentor. Ward is also the President and CEO of his organization, Special Friends Mentor, Inc.
Maurice Ward was born July 26th, 1938 in Phoenix to tenacious parents who migrated from the East Coast. Mr. Ward attended Booker T. Washington Grammar School on 12th Street and Jefferson while coming of age. At the time, Phoenix schools, businesses, and neighborhoods were segregated. Throughout his life, Maurice saw the Black community thrive in South Phoenix, despite segregation.
n.d. Archival. Booker T. Washington School, AZCentral.com 2015.
Maurice’s parents were among the original members of Wesley United Methodist Church, one of Phoenix’s first historically Black churches. His involvement in the church started as a child with Sunday school services, hay rides and youth fellowship membership. But it was not long before his consistency and passion would reward him in a leadership position. At twelve years old, Maurice was elected president of the Youth Fellowship Membership, a title he held until he was eighteen.
While in high school, Maurice experienced difficulty and racism. Black students like Ward experienced longer commutes to school, fewer resources, and challenging commutes. Even after he graduated high school and attended Arizona State College, Ward was met with adversity, such as microaggressions and unsupportive teachers. Ever the devoted student, he persisted and excelled as an academic. His perseverance and dedication to knowledge would serve him well down the road.
Eventually, Ward tired of school joined the United States Air Force. He was sent to basic training in San Antonio, Texas. Ward remembers that while some of his comrades kept their heads down during basic training, he was not afraid to let his opinion be known. If he was given an order that he felt was delivered in a disrespectful manner, Ward simply ignored it. He knew this would make him unpopular within Air Force. However, before this proved to be a problem, Ward received exciting news. In his first few days of training, Ward tested with the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, and his results were in. Ward had dramatically outperformed his peers, having the best scores in his class. In fact, his scores were some of the best in history and remain among the highest recorded, even today. Ward had been at basic training for only six days, and he was already off for a new adventure.
Ward was sent to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to become a Weather Man, an occupation he had for 20 years.
Ward’s memories of Wesley United often overlap with his historical knowledge of the United Methodist Church, which dates back to 1730. Over the course of two centuries, two movements of Methodism spread throughout Europe and the United States. When they eventually joined in the 1960s, the denomination became known as the “United” Methodist Church. Wesley is the name for one of the 18th century founders.
Maurice Ward is a force of nature, though he may be a soft spoken man, his legacy will last
forever. He is a reminder for Black youth of three things; one, consistency is key; two, life is
going to knock you down, get back up anyway! And three, take a leap of faith. The best thing for
you might be the thing that scares you the most.
| Narrator | Maurice Ward |
| Birthdate | July 26, 1938 |
| Place of Origin | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Place of Residence | South Phoenix, Arizona |
| Years Active in South Phoenix | 1938- |
| Occupation | Army Meteorologist (Ret) |
| Interview Date | Feb 22, 2023 |
| Location | South Mountain Community College |
| Duration | 1:09:54 |
| Interviewed By | Student Researcher: X Beaseley |
| Story Written By | Student Researcher: X Beaseley |
South Phoenix Oral History Project 