Stanley Calef Wilson (September 10, 1879 – October 5, 1967) was an

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...

, attorney, and businessman from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. He served as the 57th

lieutenant governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

from 1929 to 1931 and the 62nd

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

from 1931 to 1935. A native of

Orange, Vermont Orange is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,048 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.0 square miles (101.0 km2), of which 38.8&nb ...

, Wilson graduated from

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

, studied law, attained admission to the bar, and became an attorney in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

. He served in local offices, and was

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

for four years. He was Chairman of the

Vermont Republican Party The Vermont Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Vermont and has been active since its foundation in the 1860s. The party is the second largest in the state behind the Vermont Democratic Party, but ahead of the Vermont ...

from 1914 to 1917. From 1915 to 1917, Wilson served in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

, and he was

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

in 1917. From 1917 to 1923, Wilson was a judge on the Vermont Superior Court. He was president of the

Vermont Bar Association The Vermont Bar Association (VBA) is a voluntary bar association for the state of Vermont. History Founded in September 1878 in Montpelier, the Vermont Bar Association remains the only professional organization for lawyers, judges, paralegals a ...

from 1924 to 1925, and he served in the Vermont House again from 1925 to 1927. From 1927 to 1929, Wilson served in the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

. He was

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

from 1929 to 1931. In 1930, Wilson was elected

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

. He was reelected in 1932, and served from 1931 to 1935. After leaving office, he resumed practicing law and was involved in several business ventures. He died in Chelsea in 1967, and was buried at Highland Cemetery in Chelsea.

Early life

Stanley C. Wilson was born in

, on September 10, 1879, the son of William W. Wilson (1835–1912) and Lydia (Browning) Wilson (1841–1923). He graduated from Goddard Seminary in

Barre Barre or Barré may refer to: * Barre (name) or Barré, a surname and given name Places United States * Barre, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Barre (CDP), Massachusetts, the central village in the town * Barre, New York, a town * Barre (c ...

in 1896, and then taught school for a year to save enough to begin attending college. In 1897, he became a student at

, from which he received his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1901. After college, Wilson was a reporter for the ''Montpelier Daily Journal'' and worked as Deputy Clerk of the Washington County Court and Reporter for the

. In addition, he served in the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

for three years as a private in Company H, 1st Vermont Infantry Regiment. Wilson also studied law, first with the firm of

William P. Dillingham William Paul Dillingham (December 12, 1843July 12, 1923) was an American attorney and politician from the state of Vermont. A United States Republican Party, Republican and the son of Congressman and Governor Paul Dillingham, William P. Dillingha ...

and Fred A. Howland, and later with Zed S. Stanton. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1904, and went into partnership with Benjamin Gates of Montpelier. Wilson later moved to Chelsea to become the partner of Joseph K. Darling, and took over the practice after Darling died in 1910. He later practiced with other partners, and for several years maintained offices in Chelsea,

White River Junction White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2020 census, up from 2,286 in 2010, making it the largest co ...

, and Montpelier.

Start of political career

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Wilson served in local offices including town meeting moderator and selectman. He was elected

in 1908, and was reelected in 1910. From 1914 to 1917 he was chairman of the

Vermont House of Representatives

He served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1915 to 1917, and was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. In 1917 he served as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

following the resignation of

John E. Weeks John Eliakim Weeks (June 14, 1853 – September 10, 1949) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 61st governor of Vermont from 1927 to 1931. Early life Weeks was born in Salisbury, Vermont, on June 14, 1853, the son of Ebenez ...

, who was appointed Director of State Institutions. He resigned from the House upon being appointed to the bench.

Superior Court Judge

From 1917 to 1923 Wilson served as

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the Vermont Superior Court, filling a vacancy created after Chief Judge Willard W. Miles was appointed to the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

, and the other superior court judges advanced by seniority. He resigned from the bench to campaign for the Republican nomination for

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

following the death of

, but lost to

Porter H. Dale Porter Hinman Dale (March 1, 1867October 6, 1933) was a member of both the United States House of Representatives and later the United States Senate from Vermont. Early life and career The son of Lieutenant Governor George N. Dale and Helen (Hi ...

and John W. Redmond, with Dale going on to win the general election.

Return to the Vermont House

From 1924 to 1925, Wilson was president of the

. In 1925, he returned to the Vermont House, holding office until 1927. During this term, Wilson served as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Vermont State Senate

Wilson served in the

from 1927 to 1929. He was chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which considered appointments to Vermont's state courts as well as review of and updates to Vermont's statutes. While serving in the senate, Wilson also carried out a gubernatorial appointment as chairman of a commission that developed plans for construction of a bridge over

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

. In addition, Wilson carried out with Hale K. Darling an appointment as special counsel to defend the state's newly-enacted intangibles tax in court.

Lieutenant governor

In 1928 Wilson was elected Lieutenant Governor, and he served from 1929 to 1931. During his tenure as presiding officer, the state senate took the lead on legislation reorganizing the

Central Vermont Railway The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connect ...

, providing a loan to the West River Railway so that it could continue operations, modernizing the state banking system, appointing a commission to reduce and standardize electric rates, regulating billboards, and increasing the governor's salary.

Governor

In 1930 he won election as Governor and served two terms, 1931 to 1935. Wilson's two terms were marked by efforts to recover from the Flood of 1927, and to deal with the effects of the Great Depression. He was also a delegate to the

1932 Republican National Convention The 1932 Republican National Convention was held at Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, from June 14 to June 16, 1932. It nominated President Herbert Hoover and Vice President Charles Curtis for reelection. Hoover was virtually unopposed for ...

. In attaining the governorship, Wilson adhered to the provision of the Republican Party's "

Mountain Rule The governor of Vermont is the U.S. state's head of government. Since 1994, Vermont is one of only two U.S. states (New Hampshire being the other) that elects governors for two-year terms. Until 1870, Vermont elected its governors for one-year ter ...

," which required candidates to alternate between the east and west sides of the

Green Mountains The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada. The part of the same range that is in ...

. However Wilson also ran for a second term, as had his predecessor

. A second term violated the Mountain Rule provision that limited governors to two years in office. Weeks argued that there needed to be continuity in office so that the state could continue its efforts to recover from the 1927 flood. Wilson argued that he needed to both continue flood recovery efforts and to combat the negative economic effects of the Great Depression, and his reelection served to modify the Mountain Rule. Beginning with Weeks and Wilson, two terms (four years) in office became more or less standard. Along with changes including the direct election of

s and party primary elections, Weeks's and Wilson's willingness to go against tradition were seen as further eroding the Mountain Rule, one of the primary tools for maintaining discipline within the ranks of the Republican Party. Wilson stated in later interviews that he regarded the passage of the state income tax as his greatest accomplishment as governor, because it added stability to the state's economy. The income tax was preferred to other means of raising revenue because personal income was easier for the state to locate than other sources. As a result of the income tax's success, the state was able to eliminate the state highway tax, education property tax, intangibles tax, and general statewide property tax.

Post gubernatorial career

After leaving the governor's office Wilson practiced law in

with

F. Ray Keyser Sr. Frank Ray Keyser Sr. (September 29, 1898 – March 7, 2001) was an American politician, lawyer, and judge from Vermont. He was a lawyer in private practice and later a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. His son F. Ray Keyser Jr. served as S ...

Deane C. Davis Deane Chandler Davis (November 7, 1900December 8, 1990) was an American attorney and insurance executive from Vermont. Long active in Republican politics, he is most notable for his service as the List of Governors of Vermont, 74th governor of ...

and

J. Ward Carver Jay Ward Carver (February 19, 1881 – July 22, 1942) was a Vermont lawyer who served as state Attorney General. Biography J. Ward Carver was born in Calais, Vermont on February 19, 1881. He was raised in Marshfield, graduated from Montpelier ...

. Their firm has been referred to by historians as Vermont's best ever collection of legal talent, in that it included two Governors (Wilson and Davis), one state

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

(Carver), and one state

Supreme Court Justice The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme ...

(Keyser). After this firm dissolved, Wilson continued to practice law in Chelsea.

Business career

Wilson owned and operated a working dairy farm. He was also active in numerous business ventures throughout his career, and a partial list includes: member of the board of directors of the National Bank of Orange County and Hartford Savings Bank and Trust Company; vice president and director of the Brocklebank Granite Company and Brocklebank Manufacturing Company; board member of the Green Mountain Mutual Fire Insurance Company, the Vermont Flood Credit Corporation, and the Orange County Creamery Company. Wilson was also president of the Gates Realty Company. In addition, he was a partner in the reorganization of the Vermont Copper Company, and served as its Secretary and President.

Civic activism

Wilson was an officer or director of numerous civic and professional organizations, including member of the board of directors of the New England Council, and director of the Vermont Dairymen's Association, Vermont Maple Sugar Maker's Association, Vermont Forestry Association, and Orange County Farm Bureau. He was also a member of the executive committee for the Owl Council,

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

. In addition, Wilson was active in

Modern Woodmen of America Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) is one of the largest (based on assets) fraternal benefit societies in the United States, with more than 750,000 members. Total assets reached US$15.4 billion in 2016. Though it shares the same founder, it is not ...

and the Chelsea

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery Geography Australia * Grange, South Austral ...

organization. Long active in

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, Wilson's membership included: Chelsea's George Washington Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Whitney Chapter of

Royal Arch Masons Royal Arch Masonry (also known as "Capitular Masonry") is the first part of the York Rite system of the Masonic degrees. Royal Arch Masons meet as a ''Chapter'', and the Royal Arch Chapter confers four degrees: ''Mark Master Mason, Past Master, ...

(

Randolph Randolph may refer to: Places In the United States * Randolph, Alabama, an unincorporated community * Randolph, Arizona, a populated place * Randolph, California, a village merged into the city of Brea * Randolph, Illinois, an unincorporated commun ...

); Mt. Zion Commandery,

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

(Montpelier); and Mt. Sinai Temple,

Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...

International (Montpelier). In 1952, Wilson was the driving force behind the establishment of a community hospital, the Chelsea Health Center, the first community-owned nonprofit health center in the nation. Wilson was also interested in higher education, and was an officer of the Tufts College Alumni Association. He served for over 50 years on the

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

Board of Trustees, including 15 years as Chairman. In addition, he was an executive committee member for the Goddard Seminary board of directors.

Death and burial

Wilson died in Chelsea on October 5, 1967. He was buried at Highland Cemetery in Chelsea.

Family

In 1909, Wilson married Grace Goodwin Bacon Wilson (1879–1968). They were married until his death, and had no children.

Honors

Norwich University's Wilson Hall is named in his honor. In addition, Wilson received the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

from

(1927),

(1931), and the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

(1932).

Sources

External links

The Political GraveyardFind A Grave page, Stanley Calef Wilson
accessed December 18, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Stanley C. Lieutenant Governors of Vermont Republican Party Vermont state senators Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont lawyers Vermont state court judges Tufts University alumni 1879 births 1967 deaths Members of the Universalist Church of America 19th-century Christian universalists 20th-century Christian universalists Republican Party governors of Vermont State's attorneys in Vermont Burials in Vermont