Bakersfield College professor Chuck Wall has achieved a number of things in his lifetime. Although he is blind, he even managed to achieve one of his ultimate dreams, to become a racecar driver.
“Up until a year ago, I wanted to become a race-car driver, but about a year ago I actually raced a car, so I’ve done that,” he said. “I don’t have to become a race-car driver anymore. The only thing I haven’t being able to do is fly a jet fighter, and I’ve never been able to do that. I came close one time, but it didn’t happened. I guess those are my ambitions. I’ve done everything else I wanted to do.”
Wall, who lost his sight while in high school, is a publisher, professor of communication and human relations and also a speaker in the area of business, leadership and communication skills. He has appeared on various talk shows, such as Oprah Winfrey, and has received more than 20 awards ranging from recognition for his movement, Random Acts of Kindness, to Professor of the Year. He has also received awards for Professor of California, Paul Harry’s Rotary Club, and has had the opportunity to hold the Olympic torch.
Wall has been teaching at Bakersfield College for more than 20 years, and it was here where he started his famous Random Acts of Kindness.
“In 1993, I gave an assignment to my Human Relations class to go out to the community to create a random act of kindness, and they were to bring that in typed as a homework project,” Wall said.
The community had a positive response to this project after a local newspaper decided to publish a story about it. The Associated Press news service picked it up and it appeared in 350 television shows, and in virtually every newspaper in the Western world.
Wall has published several books, including “Selling Lemonade,” his newest; “Kindness Collection,” which is out of print and finally one created by students from BC called “Lessons In Kindness,” created for elementary teachers.
Looking back on his life, Wall expressed satisfaction.
“If it was my life to live over, I would change nothing. I am sure I made some bad mistakes here and there, I said the wrong thing but I wouldn’t change my life,” said Wall.
Wall was born in Burbank in 1941. He moved to Bakersfield and attended East High School, and later Bakersfield College, where he earned his Associate of Arts degree. He then decided to attend San Francisco State University, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees,.Finally, Wall attended UCLA, where he worked on his Ph.D. in philosophy, education administration and management.