I just saw the very sad news that Dean Gerald Wilson passed away, and I'm writing to share my remembrance of Dean Wilson. He helped me through one of the worst days of my life -- he cared for me. It was extraordinary, and yet, it was one of a zillion things that Gerald Wilson did for Duke students. Let me tell you my story about him.
In December 1981, I was a senior at Duke. I was applying to law schools, and like all Duke students doing so at that time, I met with Dean Wilson and got his advice. I had no special relationship with him. On December 14, 1981, during final exams, I learned that my father had very unexpectedly passed away of a massive heart attack. It was such shocking news. I didn't sleep a wink that night as I tried to process the news. The next morning, I went to the exam I was supposed to take and told the professor what happened. He said there was no need to take the exam. I had several hours to kill before my flight left RDU. For reasons I can't quite explain, I decided to see Dean Wilson. I knocked on his office door in the Allen Building, and I told him what had happened. He was so caring, so compassionate, so understanding and so giving. At the end of the conversation, I thanked him, and he got up from his desk and hugged me. A few days later, he called me to see how I was doing. I never forgot the extraordinary compassion of Gerald Wilson.
Gerald Wilson was my academic adviser when I was a Duke undergraduate from 1968 to 1972. He always had an encouraging word, and pointed me in the right direction. It was clear that he cared deeply about his students. In recent years, he would stop to visit me and my golden retriever on campus as we sat on one of the West Campus benches. He remembered me even after all the years that had passed. His dedication to Duke made it a better place for all. He will be missed.
Keith Upchurch, Trinity '72
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Dean Wilson was a wise and compassionate administrator. He helped two generations of our Duke family, and we will be forever grateful for that. His door was always open when old friends dropped by, and always a cheerful, encouraging but clear-eyed presence.
Mark I. Pinsky, Trinity '70; Sallie Brown, '71; Asher Brown-Pinsky, Trinity '10; Liza Brown-Pinsky, Trinity '13
I will never forget Dean Wilson and the impact that he had on my life and that he has potentially had on the life of my son. I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family. May his memory be a blessing for all who knew and loved him.
Gerald Wilson made thousands of Duke students consider how American history shaped the America in which they lived, and he made them laugh along the way.
"My point," he told me in a 2013 email, "is that to understand public issues fully you need to know their origins and course of development, i.e., history. OK, so much for the sermon."
He helped shepherd hundreds more students along the precarious path to law school as the pre-law advisor, which he called his penance for his own close decision to attend seminary rather than law school. He impacted, influenced, reassured and encouraged countless more as a dean and in myriad other roles over his six decades at Duke. He liked to call himself an enabler; he wanted to empower young adults to find their paths, accomplish great things and leave the world a little better than they found it.
Dean Wilson was a keen listener, even as the maestro conducting the sometimes reluctant and occasionally unprepared orchestra of a hundred-seat lecture. When he heard something promising that deserved a fuller explanation, he amped up his old-South accent to deliver his favorite exhortation: "Say more words!"
The Duke Divinity School alumnus spent a quarter-century as a Presbyterian church pastor along with his increasing responsibilities on campus. He was serious about religion, but not self-serious: "Piety is not one of my vices."
Dean Wilson was steeped in history, religion, and the South -- where he quipped that he first learned about the Civil War from a teacher who hadn't realized it was over. He bridged the past and the present for generations of young people. He meditated on the American character, with particular insight into his native region and such a memorable way of speaking that I jotted down quotes in my lecture notes: "We southerners sin just as much, even as you Californians -- but we enjoy it more, because we feel so guilty."
His most popular course took a skeptical look at the idea of the American dream, noting many ways that groups were excluded from its pursuit throughout our nation's history, but he was ultimately optimistic about America's future. He said our growing diversity made the country not a melting pot but a gumbo, where different flavors rubbed off on each other and improved the whole without necessarily ceding their original identity.
I was blessed to know Gerald, as he insisted I call him after graduating in 2015. I took his always-full lecture course on "American Dreams, American Realities" and his seminar on leadership in American history. He sponsored my thesis project and the thousand-mile summer road trip that provided the research; his ceaseless curiosity and excitement sustained my own. He attended my wedding a few years later, but only after warning me with a literary paraphrase that a groom is "a minor character in the story of his own wedding." After another few years, he supported me when I decided to pursue law school, promising his recommendation letter was "one of the best pieces of fiction I have ever written."
Gerald was a beloved academic grandfather to so many of us. A half-century after his first Duke degree, he remained insatiably and infectiously curious. He inspired his many students to understand more about this nation's past, to impact its present, and to hope for its future.
Shortly before graduation, I signed off on an email to Gerald, "Your student always." That farewell holds true today.
I first met Gerald Wilson around 1962, when he had interviewed me for the position of Housemaster (supervising a Men's Freshmen Dorm) on the West Campus; he was the Head Housemaster. Gerald was an impressive figure even then, looking serious and well dressed -- like a lawyer. I remember that he asked me, among other things, what books I was reading outside of the curriculum at the time. I got the job.
Getting to know him, I found that he was a very intelligent, capable and kind person with a good sense of humor. In later years he was also very helpful to my son, Aydin (E '01), and to my daughter Peri (T '04). As a consequence, my wife Engin and I had the pleasure of meeting Dean Wilson and his gracious wife Ginger in later years as well. Dean Gerald Wilson will be missed, and remembered with admiration as well as affection.
Learning of Dean Gerald Wilson's death brought back memories and reflections of 4 specific meetings I had with him at Duke. His wise guidance and advice helped shape several key life decisions.
Like many freshmen, my initial transition from New York City to Duke was not simple. I met with Dean Wilson late first semester and expressed an interest in transferring from Duke. He was generous with his time and was warm and thoughtful. Our conversation was extremely helpful. I never submitted the transfer applications.
During my sophomore year, I was confused about what major I should commit to. As a junior, I had a serious issue with a professor in that major (Art History). Both times, I sought out Dean Wilson's counsel and he provided true insight in an empathetic manner. Finally, a few years after I graduated, I was considering applying to law school. I reached out to Dean Wilson again. He remembered me and was excited to discuss my ideas and questions. He recommended a few schools and offered to support my applications. I went to Boston University School of Law (where I met my wife), enjoyed a long legal career and am now a senior corporate executive.
4 specific meetings that helped shape my life. I never really thanked Dean Wilson for his support and guidance... until today.
Thank you Gerald Wilson! May your memory be a blessing.