Family Weekend – Plan to Attend This!

As an alumna of Wake Forest and a student of English literature, I am duty bound to urge all our Wake Forest families – particularly our newest ones in the Class of 2015 – to come to a Family Weekend event with Ed Wilson, one of the shining stars in the Wake Forest universe.  On Saturday, September 17th at 11 a.m. in Pugh Auditorium, there will be a session on the History of Wake Forest by Ed Wilson (’43), Provost Emeritus and Emeritus Professor of English.

Every school has their Most Beloved Professor.  The one whose classes were always packed, who had a vast group of admirers, and more importantly whose words resonated with his or her students and made a profound and lasting impression.  At Wake Forest, that professor was Ed Wilson.

Ed Wilson is a Romantic by nature.  A professor of literature, his two best-known classes were ‘British Romantic Poets’ and ‘Blake, Yeats and Thomas’ – two classes that English majors fought desperately to get into. When you walked into Dr. Wilson’s class, there were lines of poetry on the chalkboard.  Just a line or two, or a famous quote perhaps.  But in the stillness and silence before class began you could absorb the words.

Alumni remember him for his kindness, his generous spirit, and his lovely voice – heard here in a multimedia presentation from years past.  He used to read Christmas stories and poetry during holiday celebrations at fall semester exams, much to the delight of all who heard him.

Dr. Wilson has retired from the classroom – and sadly would not have taught your students. He has recently written the next chapter in the History of Wake Forest book series, on the years of President James Ralph Scales (late ’60s to early ’80s).  He is a wonderful, wise man and is affectionately known as “Mr. Wake Forest.”

Families, please make time to go to his lecture. You will not regret it.