Michigan State, 1953
• 1952 Academic All-America® First Team
John Wilson was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 1989.
Lapeer, Mich. native John Wilson was the epitome of a well-rounded student during his years at Michigan State University in East Lansing. He played football for the Spartans, excelled academically, was MSU’s first Rhodes Scholar, and served as president of his senior class.
Wilson represented the Spartans on the gridiron from 1950 to 1952. He played on two of the greatest teams in MSU football history- the 1951 and 1952 National Championship teams. Wilson had a standout season during his senior year in 1952. He was named an Academic All-America and received Michigan State’s prestigious Potsy Ross Award, given to the student who best contributes to the university both athletically and scholastically.
Wilson excelled both on the field and off. Not only was he Michigan State’s first Rhodes Scholar, but he also received many other academic honors. In 1953, Wilson received the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor, as well as Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Alpha Theta honoraries. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, an association of American Rhodes Scholars. After graduating with honors in 1953 he received Michigan State’s John A. Hannah Outstanding Alumni Award, given in recognition of exceptional devotion to the growth and progress of the university’s academics and athletics.
Wilson received his master’s in English from Oxford University before returning to his alma mater in 1958. He served in various administrative positions at Michigan State, including assistant to the Vice-President of Academic Affairs, associate director of the honors college, assistant professor of English from 1965 to 1969, and Director of Undergraduate Education and Assistant Provost. Wilson has worked in administration at several other universities. He was the assistant president of the State University of New York from 1959 to 1963 and was the president of Virginia’s Washington and Lee University from 1983 to 1995.
In 1987, Wilson received Michigan State University’s Duffy Daughter Award in recognition of his achievements post-graduation. He was also nominated for the Theodore Roosevelt Award in 1989 and 1990. This award is the highest honor given by the NCAA and is given annually to a graduate from an NCAA member institution who earned a varsity letter in college and then went on to become a distinguished citizen with a national reputation based on outstanding life achievement. Michigan State’s Varsity Alumni “S” Club presented him with the Jack Breslin Life Achievement Award in 1994.
Wilson made his home in Virginia and remained a loyal Spartans football fan watching every game with some of his former teammates in Hilton Head, S.C.