Blair Wong Inducted into Opticians Hall of Fame

June 27, 2022

The Opticians Association of America inducted Professor Blair Wong into the Opticians Hall of Fame at the organization’s recent State Leadership Conference in Orlando, FL. Wong is Director of the Division of Opticianry at Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology.

The Opticians Association of America (OAA) established the Opticians Hall of Fame in 2019 to help showcase and honor those individuals whose passion, talents, and dedication have helped to shape the profession of opticianry and our national organization over the past 90+ years. The OAA Opticians Hall of Fame is committed to preserving the history of opticianry and celebrating the dedicated individuals who have helped to create and preserve the profession and the national association we have all come to love. These individuals are role models for current and future generations of opticians.

“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is quite an honor” said Wong. “I’ve always thought of myself as a regular kind of guy who is passionate about opticianry. The greats of the industry who are already in the Hall of Fame are people that I’ve always looked up to.”

Wong is a Massachusetts Licensed Optician, a Master in Ophthalmic Optics, a 1980 graduate of the Optical Institute at Newbury College, and a 2007 graduate from Cambridge College with a Master’s Degree in Education. With over 30 years of experience, Wong has been the founding Director of Opticianry at the college since 2007. An active member of the optical profession, he has served on many national committees and association boards, including Executive Director of the Opticians Association of Massachusetts (OAM) since 2000, as well as being an OAM Past-President.

Wong was also recognized with the Massachusetts Optician of the Year award (2011), the Opticians Association of America President’s Service Award (2013), the Joseph Bruneni Memorial Educator of the Year Award (2013) from the National Academy of Opticianry, and the OAA’s State Leader of the Year (1999). He is a nationally recognized lecturer on Ophthalmic Optics and is also an Assistant Professor of Optics at the New England College of Optometry. “Helping students to be successful in the world” is his mission in teaching.

OAA President Johnna Dukes said Wong’s extensive contributions to the field are impressive, but perhaps his greatest achievement is that he has created a legacy of state and national leaders who will continue to influence the profession of Opticianry for years to come. In addition to educating new opticians through his role at the college, he encourages new opticians to become leaders in their state through his work with the Opticians Association of Massachusetts. Many of these state leaders go on to become leaders on the national level, and his influence goes even further when you take into account his work with the American Board of Opticianry where he has contributed to Opticianry certification and testing standards.

“Professor Wong not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk,” Dukes said. “He consistently brings out the best in the people who surround him, he cares deeply about this profession and he inspires people to make a difference.  These are rare and precious traits, but Professor Wong embodies these values. The profession of Opticianry is stronger due to his involvement and he is most certainly deserving of the Hall of Fame designation.”

Chris Allen, OAA Executive Director, had this to say about Blair Wong’s inclusion in the Opticians Hall of Fame, “I believe that Blair is the most influential optician in America today and has been for the past decade. His passion for the profession of opticianry is unparalleled and I am amazed by his endless energy when it comes to making the profession better for all opticians. On a personal note, Blair is a great friend and an amazing mentor, and I could not be more proud that he has been inducted into the Opticians Hall of Fame.”

Established in 1926, OAA serves as the only national organization representing opticianry’s business, professional, educational, legislative, and regulatory interests. OAA fosters, supports, and sponsors programs of competency certification, licensing, and continuing education for professional development.

For more information about OAA, visit www.oaa.org.

Pictured: Blair Wong (center) is inducted into the OAA Hall of Fame. Presenting the award was his son, OAA Board Member and Pediatric Optician Evan Wong (left) and former OAA Board Member Thomas Blair (right)