Gerald Wilson, senior associate dean emeritus of the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences who served the Duke community for over 60 years, died Thursday.
The news was first shared in a LinkedIn post by Mike Spivey, CEO of law school admissions consulting firm The Spivey Consulting Group, and confirmed by University administration in a Sunday email to The Chronicle.
“For over half a century, Gerald Wilson was a pillar of the Duke community. He advised, mentored and inspired generations of Duke undergraduates — including my own spouse,” wrote Gary Bennett, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, in the Sunday email. “Gerald served our community with both grace and impeccable style. Even after retirement, he remained an active and engaged presence, continuing to connect with students. Like many of my colleagues, I’ve often thought about how Gerald’s selfless dedication to our students and Duke is a model for us all to follow.”
Wilson received a number of accolades throughout his time at Duke, including the 2010 Presidential Award — the highest honor given to University staff and faculty members — the 2019 Brodhead Service Award and the 2013 University Medal for Distinguished Service.
Wilson first joined the Duke community in 1958 as a student in the Divinity School. In 1959, he served first as an “assistant housemaster” — now referred to as resident assistants — and later as assistant to the Dean of Men.
He received his bachelor’s degree from the Divinity School in 1961 and a Master of Religion from the Graduate School in 1968.
Wilson became a full-time employee of the University in 1964, later joining the dean’s staff in 1967 and becoming an adviser to pre-law students in 1969. After receiving his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972, he returned to Duke as a professor in the history department until 2021.
Throughout his time at Duke, he experienced the merger of Trinity College and the Women’s College in 1972 and the transformation of Duke athletics in the late 1980s.
“When we arrived at Duke, it was the outstanding school in the South. Now, it’s a world-class university,” Wilson said in a 2019 interview with Giving to Duke. “We have been at Duke in the most exciting period in its history — it’s absolutely incredible.”
In 2019, Wilson and his wife, Ginger Wilson — one of the North Carolina School of Science and Math’s founding faculty members and dean of humanities — announced the Virginia S. and Gerald Lee Wilson Scholarship Fund which helps provide a path for North Carolinian high schoolers to attend Duke. Ginger Wilson received a bachelor’s degree in history from the Woman’s College in 1962, as well as a master’s degree and doctorate in education from the Graduate School in 1963 and 1975, respectively.
According to Gerald Wilson, he always wanted to work with students, saying that he got to “talk and listen to the most interesting people every day.”
From 2014 to 2021, Wilson served as an adjunct professor of history. Most recently, he taught “American Dreams and American Realities” and “Leadership in American History” in the history department.
Editor’s note: We welcome the Duke community to send remembrances to The Chronicle at abigailspiller@dukechronicle.com and opinion@dukechronicle.com.
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Zoe Kolenovsky is a Trinity junior and news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.
Abby Spiller is a Trinity junior and editor-in-chief of The Chronicle's 120th volume.