George Howard Wilson (August 21, 1905 – July 16, 1985) was an American attorney, FBI agent,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, and judge.

Early life and education

Born in

Mattoon, Illinois Mattoon ( ) is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 16,870 as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Lake Land College and has close ties with its neighbor, Charleston. Both are principal cities of the Charleston� ...

, Wilson moved with his parents in 1910 to Enid. There he attended Enid Public Schools. He graduated from

Phillips University Phillips University was a private university Enid, Oklahoma. It opened in 1906 and closed in 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary. The university wa ...

in 1926. He studied at the University of Michigan Law School in 1926 and 1927, and graduated from the law school of the University of Oklahoma in 1929. He was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

in 1928 and joined his father's

law practice In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...

in 1929 in Enid, Oklahoma.

Career

Military service

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Wilson ranked as

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

within the Judge Advocate General's Department of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, serving overseas in the South Atlantic Theater of Operations from 1942 to 1946.

Congressional term

Wilson was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

81st Congress The 81st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 194 ...

(January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951). During his term, Wilson was on the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and the Subcommittee on Public Health, Science, and Commerce. With his colleagues he was tasked with considering legislation for a national health program, and toured western Europe for investigation purposes. In 1950, he lost his election bid for the

82nd Congress The 82nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1 ...

Legal and judicial career

Wilson served as a deputy district court clerk of

Garfield County, Oklahoma The county courthouse in 1908. Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,580. Enid is the county seat and largest city within Garfield County. The county is named after Pre ...

in 1928. He was a special agent with the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

from 1934 to 1938. From 1939 to 1942, he was the city attorney of Enid, Oklahoma. Following his congressional service he directed the Oklahoma State Crime Bureau in 1951. Wilson was an

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

justice from 1952 to 1968, Chief judge of State Administrative Zone No. 1 in 1967, district judge, 1969, and Chief judge, Division No. 1, Judicial District No. 4. Judge Wilson served as President of the Oklahoma Judicial Conference in 1968.

Personal life and Death

He had four children with wife Myrna Kathryn Reams, whom he married in 1929. He continued to reside in Enid, Oklahoma until his death on July 16, 1985, and was interred in Memorial Park Cemetery.

References

George H. Wilson Collection
an
Photograph Series
at the Carl Albert Center {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, George Howard 1905 births 1985 deaths Politicians from Enid, Oklahoma Phillips University alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni Oklahoma lawyers United States Army colonels United States Army personnel of World War II Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Oklahoma state court judges People from Mattoon, Illinois Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges Military personnel from Illinois