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.
Dean Brenner, Trinity '82
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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
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I am writing upon hearing of the passing of Dean Gerald Wilson. Dean Wilson was a life-changing figure in my life, both as a wonderful professor and as the pre-law Dean. I took both of Dean Wilson's small seminars, "American Dreams, American Realities" and "Leadership in American History." Although I took these courses over two decades ago, I still remember being so inspired by his teaching and learned to think very deeply and analytically. The lessons that I took away from his courses have served me so well in my life, personally and professionally. And speaking of professionally, Dean Wilson helped me get off of the waitlist at NYU Law School with one or two swift, strategic moves immediately following my graduation from Duke in 2000. Attending NYU Law School was another life-changing experience for me and opened so many doors professionally, which ultimately paved the way for me to have the fulfilling and exciting legal career that I've had so far.
I visited Duke in February of this year with my 15-year old son, Sam. While we were on campus, we were lucky enough to sit down with Dean Wilson for a coffee and a chat. Dean Wilson was so warm and engaging with Sam and immediately asked him to start thinking about how he would answer the question of "Who are you?" — so that Sam could answer the question by the end of our visit. Sam answered Dean Wilson at the end of our visit, and I can't recall much of Sam's response and the particulars of what he and Dean Wilson discussed. I do recall, however, that such a simple question posed to Sam has already made such a huge difference in his life, as well, as it got him thinking about who he is as a learner and as a person and has inspired him to be the best version of himself. After our visit with Dean Wilson that day, Sam turned to me and said, "Now I see why you loved going to college here so much. Dean Wilson is amazing."
Below is a photo of Dean Wilson and me from my Duke graduation in 2000, a photo of Dean Wilson and me and a photo of Dean Wilson and my son, Sam, both from our visit in February.
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.
Shelby (Granowitz) Weiser, Trinity '00
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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.
Andrew Kragie, Trinity '15
~~~~~
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.
M. Esat Kadaster, Pratt ’64
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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.
Michael Kaminsky, Trinity '80
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Gerald Wilson was a celebrated teacher, trusted pastor and legendary adviser to generations of law school applicants, but I remember him most as a friend, one of the closest I’ve had.
I schemed my way into his graces at the start of my sophomore year. Thinking I wanted to go to law school, I sought out the pre-law dean and asked to be his work-study student. He said he didn’t need a work-study student. Then he hired me anyway. Generosity was Gerald’s first instinct.
The job, which lasted three years, largely involved talking to Gerald. We talked about everything: southern history, Gandhi, the New Deal, the appeal of fried chicken for breakfast, class anger, my romantic quandaries, why an omnipotent God permits evil and suffering, whether America could deliver the American Dream.
Gerald was both a wise elder and a co-conspirator, a pal. He listened to me, had faith in me, poked fun at me. He made me feel empowered. My friends were surprised to discover a man with all those honorifics — “the Reverend Doctor Dean” — was, to use a term not yet coined, so "relatable." Trudging to the library one afternoon, I found him headed to the Gardens with my girlfriend, hooky on both of their faces. Law school advising, they said.
A turning point in my time at Duke involved a plan to spend a summer in India doing volunteer work. There were lots of reasons not to go, including the cost. Gerald told me to follow my heart and jump-started the fund-raising with small grants from three rural churches he served as a part-time pastor. I returned to the churches to describe my adventures and discovered another side of Gerald — the anchor of small-town life, proclaiming the faith far from the cosmopolitan campus. He belonged to both habitats.
The trip changed my life. I wrote about it for a campus publication and moved on to a career in journalism, thanks in large part to Gerald. I rushed off on a reporting trip after graduation and stored a trunk in his house.
When I returned to Duke half a lifetime later to help my son move in, Gerald was a figure of fame. His course, American Dreams, filled a large hall and spawned a waiting list. (I was flattered that one of its readings came from my book "American Dream.") Gerald stopped by the hotel to visit — with the trunk in his car. It had been living in his attic, rent-free, for nearly 40 years.
My wife was astonished: Who stores a student’s stuff for that long?
If he minded, he didn’t show it. We all carry debts we can never repay, but what a list I compiled with Gerald!
Jason DeParle, Trinity '82
~~~~~
Dean Gerald Wilson was a legendary pre-law advisor, but in his part-time job as a Presbyterian minister, he offered me counseling that changed my life. As a potential seminary student, I sought Gerald out and found him to be generous with his time and his insights. He supported my application to Yale Divinity School and launched me on the path to ordained ministry. I was so grateful that he made the trip to my home church in Maryland to preach my ordination sermon in 1986.
No doubt he was making such trips for former students across the country, particularly in his much-loved role as a wedding officiant. Within the last ten years, he reached out to me and asked me to "sponsor" him as an officiant in Washington, DC. For some reason, DC has that requirement, officiant to officiant. I was happy to do so! It was a small token of my appreciation.
I'm also grateful that Gerald sent my daughter a children's book in 1988, the year she was born. Roughly two decades later, Sadie (Trinity '10) was a student in one of his history classes at Duke. We share the special bond of being shaped by a remarkable man, a generation apart.
Henry G. Brinton, Trinity '82
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We welcome the Duke community to send additional remembrances to The Chronicle at abigailspiller@dukechronicle.com and opinion@dukechronicle.com.
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