Carroll Atwood Wilson (1887-1947)
By Makhieba Simon, Class of 2018
Carroll A. Wilson, born in 1887 a native of Benton Falls, Maine, grew up with several ties to Colby College. His father, Charles B. Wilson; grandfather, John B. Wilson and great-grandfather, Adam Wilson were graduates of Colby. His great uncles, George A. Wilson and Fred M. Wilson, were also Colby graduates, as well as trustees of the college. Wilson’s family connections had great influence on both his future relations with Colby and his scholarly endeavors.
As a boy, Wilson attended Westfield High School in his hometown of Westfield, MA. His collegiate education began with his enrollment at Williams College, which he attended from 1903 to 1907, graduating among the top five in his class. Upon graduating, Wilson enrolled in Harvard Law School; there he received the Rhodes scholarship, which permitted him three years residence at Oxford and an annual allowance of $1,500. In the fall of 1907, after only one year at Harvard, he continued his study of law at the Worcester College of Oxford. In 1911, Wilson graduated Worcester College with a Bachelor of Civil Law degree. When he returned to the U.S, the nation’s involvement in World War 1 compelled him to serve as a Lieutenant in the Coast Artillery. In the years succeeding his service in World War 1, Wilson promptly established the accredited titles of attorney, businessman, bibliographer and author. Finally utilizing his B.C.L degree, Wilson began his law practice at the Hurlburt, Jones & Hall firm in Boston. He furthered his career as an attorney in 1921 as general counsel for the Guggenheim Brothers firm in New York, where he remained for almost two and a half decades. In conjunction with his law practice, Wilson worked as director of Chilean Nitrate Sales Corporation and Pacific Tin Consolidated, along with several other companies. Later, he was elected vice president of the American Smelting and Refining Company. Apart from his success as an attorney, businessman and former U.S serviceman, Wilson was also a renowned scholar and figure in the realm of higher education.
Prior to 1946 he assumed the roles of trustee of Williams College, director of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars and for many years, trustee of the Guggenheim Foundation. He was also named the vice president of the Bibliographical Society of America and chairman of its committee on publications. Wilson’s well-earned titles were primarily acquired by his collection of scholarly works. He authored several books and papers, completed work in connection with the writings of novelists Anthony Trollope, Thomas Hardy, Samuel Butler and Oliver Wendell Holmes, and composed a bibliography of works by the theatrical partnership of Gilbert and Sullivan. Some of his works “A Descriptive Catalogue of the Grolier Club Centenary” (1940), “Exhibition of the Works of Thomas Hardy” (1946) and “Eight Hundred Years of Fine Printing” (1946), were produced by the Colby Library Quarterly. In addition, he composed “Some Hardy Corrections and Notes” (1941) for the Colby Mercury. Wilson’s high intellect and personal attainments were awarded with honorary degrees from the esteemed colleges Colby (1940), Williams and Wesleyan.
Generous as he was scholarly, Wilson frequently donated books from his personal collection to the Williams and Colby College libraries. In 1939, he gifted Colby with several books from his Thomas Hardy collection. In addition to his donations to Colby, he frequently held lectures at the College. He also contributed to Colby by introducing Colby Professor, Carl Weber to H. Bacon Collamore, an insurance executive at Hartford. The introduction led to the addition of Edwin Arlington Robinson materials and other major collections, to the Special Collections department of Miller Library. Until his death in 1947, Wilson continued to bestow gifts upon the Miller Library. He left behind his second wife, formerly known as Jean C. Shelly, and two sons from his first marriage to the former Doris A. Janes. As a significant figure in the history of Colby, his benevolence will continue to be remembered as a significant portion of the college’s history.
Works Consulted
“Carroll Wilson, Guggenheim aide.” New York Times (1923-Current File) 28 June 1947: 13. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times. Web. 20 July 2015.
Carroll A. Wilson donor file. Colby College Special Collections.
Marriner, Ernest Cummings. “The Library.” The History of Colby College. Waterville: Colby College, 1963. 491. Print.
“Rhodes Scholar.” Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922) 13 Mar. 1908: 3. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe. Web. 20 July 2015.
“Viscount Bennett.” Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960) 28 June 1947: 10. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe. Web. 20 July 2015.