Florida A&M

A former high school English teacher, Wilson was brought to FAMU from Ocala by Jake Gaither in 1969 to enhance the Sports Information Department.  He was serving as sports director of the Ocala Star Banner.  He was the first known black to serve in that role in the South. 
 
Wilson worked incessantly to upgrade the quality of sports publicity through publications, news releases, and in-person outreach efforts.  Thanks to his active involvement with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the Florida Sportscasters and Sportswriters he, introduced many innovative ideas that only helped build upon the already solid sports publicity reputation of Florida A&M University.  He was highly-decorated by CoSIDA, winning Small College Media Guide of the Year for his 1979 publication that chronicled the historic 1978 where Rudy Hubbard’s Rattlers won the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA (FCS) national championship.
 
In 1977, he took on the additional role of Director of University Publications, overseeing the print operations of the entire school from initial concepts to final product. That role would
eventually force him to relinquish his day-to-day role as SID by 1978.  In the summer of 1980, Wilson returned full time to Athletics, as director of athletics where helped oversee Florida A&M's elevation to NCAA Division-I status.
 
In 1984, he would execute FAMU’s withdrawal from Tampa as the host site of the Florida Classic.  Aling with FAMU President Walter L. Smith, they felt the city was not acting in good faith and refused to continue to spend money where the school was seemingly unwanted.  After a year of not playing at all, the Florida Classic would eventually move to its home since then, Orlando.
 
He served tirelessly in this role until the summer of 1985, when health concerns led to his relinquishing the AD's chair.  Wilson’s youngest son Vaughn was inducted into the FAMU Sorts Hall of Fame in 2015 for football.  They are the fourth set of father-son duos in the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame.  In 2025 his eldest son, Van Wilson, was inducted as a dedicated supporter, which started by helping Roosevelt as only a child.