Wilson, Charlie A.
Item
- Connection to Legacies of American Slavery Database
- Name
- One-line bio
- Biography
- Date of Birth
- Date of Death
- Historical Period
- Related Organization(s)
- Related Person(s)
- Employed By
- Learn More About this Subject
-
Wilson, Charlie A.
-
For thirty years, Charlie A. Wilson served as both a janitor and medical trainer at Davidson College and earned the deep respect of students and staff for playing a pivotal role in the Wildcats’ 1929 North Carolina football championship.
-
Charlie Arthur Wilson was born on December 25, 1899 to Mary Wilson and Edward Johnson. After his father’s death, his mother married Enoch Donaldson, a respected Black employee at Davidson College. Raised in Mecklenburg County, Wilson grew up under Donaldson’s care, became a devoted deacon at the local Black Methodist church, and maintained a close bond with his half-brother, James “HuJohn” Donaldson. Around 1917, he married Charlotte Black, a member of the prominent Johnson family and aunt of Ralph Johnson, the proprietor of a Davidson barbershop. Together, they had one daughter.
Wilson began unofficially working at Davidson College as a janitor for five years before becoming the medical trainer in the Athletic department for another 25. During his tenure, he worked closely with the Davidson football team until his death on February 18, 1935. His skill in treating injuries earned him the nickname “Doc” along with deep respect from players and staff. He was so valued that the team once smuggled him into a game at West Point, where segregation barred his entry. He was credited by players as a key figure in their 1929 North Carolina Championship run.
Wilson died on February 18, 1935. His death deeply affected the campus. He was remembered fondly by students, faculty, and family in student publications. Davidson honored him publicly with a full-page profile in the 1927 Quips and Cranks. They later eulogized him in The Davidsonian and attended his funeral.
-
December 25, 1899
-
February 18, 1935
-
1929 Quips and Cranks, Davidson College, Davidson, NC
-
Group photograph featuring the Charlie Wilson and the Davidson football team, student scrapbook, Special Collections and Archives, Davidson College, Davidson, NC
-
“‘Doc’ Charley Dies Following Quarter Century of Service,” The Davidsonian, February 20, 1935, 1.
-
“Doc Charley,” The Davidsonian, February 20, 1935, 6.
-
“Death Certificate of Charlie Wilson,” in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, U.S., Death Index, 1992-2012 [database on-line], Ancestry.com
-
“Death Certificate of Charlotte Wilson,” in North Carolina, U.S., Death Certificates, 1909-1976 [database on-line], Ancestry.com
-
Ralph W. Johnson, David Played a Harp: An Autobiography (Davidson: Blackwell Ink, 2000).
Position: 433 (126 views)
