William E. Wilson (1906–1988) was an American writer. He wrote eleven books, including The Wabash, and was a professor of fiction writing and literature at Indiana University from 1950 to 1972.[1]
William E. Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1906 |
| Died | 1988 Indiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | author |
Biography edit
William E. Wilson was born in 1906, the son of William E. Wilson, who served as a member of Congress.[2] The younger Wilson spent much of his childhood in or around Evansville, Indiana. He graduated from Harvard University, served as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, and spent two years as a Fulbright Scholar at Aix-Marseille University, Grenoble and Nice, France before landing at Baltimore, Maryland where he became Assistant Editor of the Baltimore Sun.[3]
In 1950, he left the Baltimore Sun, joining the faculty of Indiana University where he became a professor of fiction writing and literature until his retirement in 1972. Indiana University has a William E. Wilson Fellowship in Fiction named in his honor.[4]
Recognition edit
He was a Fulbright Lecturer in France from 1956 to 1957 and, in 1964, received an Award of Merit from the American Association of State and Local History. He was honored a number of times with the Indiana Author's Day Award. He was recognized in 1962 by the Southeastern Theatre Association for his plays.[3]
Family edit
His first wife, Ellen Janet Cameron, died in 1976. He had three sons with her. He married Hana Benes in 1977.[1]
Death edit
Wilson died in 1988 at the age of 82 in Bloomington Hospital in Indiana from cancer.[1]
Bibliography edit
Non-fiction edit
- The Wabash, Rivers of America Series; Farrar & Rinehart, New York; 1940
- Big Knife: The Life of John Rogers Clark, Farrar & Rinehart, New York; 1941
- On the Sunny Side of a One Way Street: Humorous Impressions of a Hoosier Boyhood, W.W. Norton, New York, 1958
- The Angel and the Serpent: The Story of New Harmony, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 1964
- Indiana: A History, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 1966
Fiction edit
- Crescent City, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1947
- The Strangers, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1952
- The Raiders, Rinehart & Company, New York; 1955
- Everyman Is My Father, Saturday Review Press, New York, 1973
Children’s edit
- Shooting Star: The Story of Tecumseh, Farrar & Rinehart, New York; 1942
- Abe Lincoln of Pigeon Creek, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1949
References edit
- ^ a b c "William Wilson; Author, 82". The New York Times. 1988-06-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
- ^ Wilson, William E. (August 1, 1965). "Long, Hot Summer In Indiana". American Heritage. New York, NY: American Heritage Publishing Company.
- ^ a b "Honoree William E. Wilson". Indiana University Honors and Awards. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- ^ "William E. Wilson | AMERICAN HERITAGE". www.americanheritage.com. Retrieved 2020-09-07.