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IN MEMORIAM
CHARLES OWENS WILSON, JR.
Charles Owens Wilson, Jr. was born on January 25, 1911, in Bothell,
Washington, to Aura Steele Wilson and Charles O. Wilson. He attended
the public schools in Bothell. He graduated with a B.S. in pharmacy
and Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from the University of Washington,
in Seattle, in 1938. He was a professor on the faculties of George
Washington University from 1938-1940, the University of Minnesota
from 1940-48, and The University of Texas from 1948-1959.
In 1959, Charles took the position of dean and professor of the College
of Pharmacy at Oregon State University in Corvallis and remained in
this position until his retirement in 1975. Under his leadership, the
OSU pharmacy department greatly expanded. Charles was part of the evolution
from a small pharmacy school at a land-grant college to a research
oriented pharmacy college at a research university. He served under
three presidents: Strand, Jensen and MacVicar. Charles did an excellent
job guiding the college through this difficult time of transition that
included expanding the faculty, doubling the enrollment and doubling
the size of the building. This was the period that the 5-year pharmacy
degree replaced the 4-year programs. Oregon was one of the first states
to make the 5-year degree mandatory for licensure.
During his years as a professor, beginning in the 1940's, Charles co-authored
the two major pharmaceutical chemistry texts: Rogers' Inorganic
Pharmaceutical Chemistry, by Soine & Wilson, and the Wilson
and Gisvold Textbook of Organic Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry which
is now in its 11th edition. This book has had a remarkable impact on
medicinal chemistry education. Charles and Ole Gisvold selected the
best medicinal chemists in the U.S. pharmacy schools to author chapters
resulting in a textbook that set the standard for medicinal chemistry
both in the United States and abroad. He also started the American
Drug Index in 1956. He published numerous research papers and articles
while at Minnesota and Texas and was a well known medicinal chemist.
Charles worked from 1943-46 as an organic chemist on the Antimalarial
Synthesis Program, a war-time project under the Federal Office of Scientific
Research Development. He was also chief chemist for the Minnesota State
Board of Pharmacy for five years.
Charles wrote an article for one of the national pharmacy publications
that sparked the Kefauver hearings for generic naming of drugs. He
testified at those hearings in the summer of 1960.
Charles was an active member of the American Pharmaceutical Association
as well as in each state's pharmacy association where he lived. In
addition, he was a registered pharmacist in each state where he taught:
Washington, Washington DC, Minnesota, Texas and Oregon. His fraternities
included Kappa Psi, Rho Chi, Sigma Xi, and Kappa Sigma. He is listed
in American Men of Science, Chemical Who's Who and Who's Who in American
Education, 19th Ed. He was actively involved in the local American
Red Cross Blood program. In 1960, Charles and Vaughn helped launch
the AFS (American Field Service) in Corvallis, an international high
school exchange program. He volunteered for Meals on Wheels for over
thirty years.
Charles chaired national committees and sections of the American Pharmaceutical
Association and American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Related
to these, his loyalty to students included organizing the student branches
of the APhA at George Washington University, University of Minnesota
and The University of Texas.
Charles Wilson married Vaughn Claire Howell in 1936. She graduated
with him from the University of Washington in 1938 with a Masters in
English. Charles was an avid fisherman and loved hiking, golf and camping.
He also enjoyed bridge, dancing, sports and could always deliver an
excellent joke.
Professor Wilson died December 30, 2002. He is survived by three children:
Heather C. Wilson of Eugene, OR, Bonnie W. TenPas of Lexington, MA,
and Felix D. Wilson of Downey, CA, seven grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Deceased are a son, Charles O. Wilson, III, and wife, Vaughn H. Wilson.
This memorial appeared in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
Newsletter. It was provided to the Office of the General Faculty by
Professor John Block of Oregon State University.
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