John Todd Wilson (March 7, 1914 – August 4, 1990) served as president of the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

from 1975 to 1978.K. O. Dawes. "John T. Wilson, 76, ex-chief of U. of C." ''Chicago Sun-Times''. August 8, 1990. 63. Wilson was born in

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Punxsutawney (; Unami language, Lenape: ' ) is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in southern Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney is known globally for its annual Groundhog Day celebration held each February 2, during which thousands of ...

on March 7, 1914. He studied at

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

and the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

, where he studied psychology, philosophy, and education. After wartime service in the

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he earned a PhD in psychology from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in 1948. After a year working jointly for the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

and for

, he joined the

Office of Naval Research The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is an organization within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for the science and technology programs of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Established by Congress in 1946, its mission is to plan ...

and then the newly created

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

, serving from 1955 to 1961 as assistant director of its Biological and Medical Sciences Division. In 1961 Wilson moved to work at the

as special assistant to the newly appointed university president

George W. Beadle George Wells Beadle (October 22, 1903 – June 9, 1989) was an American geneticist. In 1958 he shared one-half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Edward Tatum for their discovery of the role of genes in regulating biochemical even ...

, previously of

Caltech The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

. In 1963 he moved back to the National Science Foundation as deputy director, returning to the University of Chicago in 1968 as vice-president and dean of faculties. In 1969 he was appointed Provost and elected President of the university in December 1975. He retired in 1978.

References

External links

Guide to the John T. Wilson Papers 1930-1983
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research CenterGuide to the University of Chicago Office of the President, Wilson Administration Records 1891-1978
at th
University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center
1914 births 1990 deaths People from Chicago University of Chicago faculty Presidents of the University of Chicago George Washington University alumni University of Iowa alumni Stanford University alumni {{US-academic-administrator-1910s-stub