John "Jack" Barney Wilson papers

John "Jack" Barney Wilson was born in Gainesville, Florida, March 12, 1930. He married Laura Jean Selecman on April 11, 1952. They had two children: John Barney Wilson, Jr. (born on February 24, 1964) and Heather Lee Selecman Wilson (born on March 30, 1966).

John Wilson was a history major, receiving his B.A. with High Honors from the University of Florida in 1953, A.M. from Boston University in 1966, and Ph.D. from Boston University in 1966.

John Wilson began teaching European and Slavic history at DePauw University in 1957 and continued through 1993. He was chairman of the History department from 1972-75 and 1984-85, and acting chair in 1988-89. He held the position of University Marshall from 1988-90. He received the Tucker Award for Teaching Excellence in May 1993. He was also the first to receive the Best Teacher Award inaugurated by DePauw' Interfraternity Council in 1966. He was author of a paper, "The Impact of World War II on the Soviet Union," and had traveled to the USSR to do research in 1965, 1973, and 1987. He was the first resident director of DePauw's Eastern European Semester in Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary.

John "Jack" B. Wilson passed away December 26, 1993, at the age of 63, in Greencastle.