1923: Born Feb. 1 in Leaksville, North Carolina
1939: Enters Wake Forest College
1943: Graduates summa cum laude and joins the U.S. Navy
1946: Discharged and returns to WFC to teach English
1947-52: Enrolls in Harvard’s graduate school, earning a M.A. in 1948 and Ph.D. in 1952
1951: Joins Wake Forest faculty
1957: Named assistant dean
1959: Named acting dean
1960: Named dean of the college
1963: Supports founding of what is now the Mark H. Reece Collection of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art
1964: Marries Emily Herring (MA ’62); they would have three children and four grandchildren
1966: Esquire deems him a U.S. “superprof”
1967: Named University’s first provost and continues in that role through 1990
1971: Helps start University’s first residential study abroad program in Venice
1975: Supports founding of Wake Forest University Press
1977: Helps start residential program in London
1990: Steps down as provost and becomes vice president for special projects through 1993
1992: Addition to Z. Smith Reynolds Library named the “Wilson Wing”
1993: Honored with Distinguished Alumni Award
1993: Ten former students publish a volume of scholarly essays in his honor titled, “English Romanticism: Preludes and Postludes”
1998: Called back to administration as senior vice president, handling academic matters for Provost’s Office until 2002
2002: Receives the North Carolina Award for Public Service, the state’s highest civilian honor
2002: Named president of Atlantic Coast Conference
2004: Honored with Medallion of Merit, University’s highest award for service
2010: Publishes “The History of Wake Forest University, Volume V, 1967-1983”
2012: Inducted as part of inaugural class into the Wake Forest Writers Hall of Fame
2020: Publishes “Songs of Wake Forest”
2024: Dies on March 13 at age 101
