One of DU’s Own Heros
By Olivia Larson
William Crowther Wilson
12/25/1913 - 2/10/1982
William Crowther Wilson was born to Christina Simpson Crowther and William Black Wilson.[1] Christina was born in 1879 in Peterhead, Scotland, and moved to Glasgow, Scotland, at 12 years old. William Sr was born in 1878 in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1901, Christina and William married in Glasgow, Scotland. They had their first son, John Scott Wilson, in 1905. On February 1, 1910, the family departed from Glasgow to New York City. The family moved to Des Moines, Iowa, shortly after arriving in the US.
On December 25, 1913, William Crowther Wilson was born in Des Moines, Iowa. By 1919, William was living in Denver, COwith his parents and brother. His family was naturalized the same year, shortly after moving to Denver. William’s family purchased a home in downtown Denver, CO, which would remain William’s residence throughout his life. By 1935, William was living with his brother and his father, who was now widowed. He was working as a clerk at the time. William received his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Denver in 1939. At age 26, William registered for the draft. As reported on his registration card, he was 6’7,” 190lbs, with brown hair and blue eyes. At the time, he was employed by Texas Oil Company, but his exact position was unknown.
William served in WWII from the age of 28 to the age of 32. He served in the US Army as a Technical Sergeant (TSGT). This rank was used for skilled tradesmen who performed specialized jobs during the war. Many jobs needed in the civilian world were also needed by the army, so this position involved a wide range of duties, including blacksmiths, cable splicers, x-ray technicians, locomotive engineers, purchasing agents, and more. During WWII, this was a Grade 2 rank and was later renamed Sergeant First Class. Following his military service, he returned to his home in Denver, living with his brother and father. He lived there until February 10, 1982, when he passed away. He was later buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.
Footnotes ↓
[1] Info4rmation for the biogrpahy can be found at:
https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/155718669/person/392437414496/facts https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/6061/images/4294429-00350?pId=62479837 https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/61194/images/31313_129703-00628?pId=2447083 https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/m-t0627-00485-00661?pId=39616554 https://www.fold3.com/image/538817281/wilson-william-crowther-page-1-us-wwii-draft-registration-cards-1940 https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=RMD19390603-01.2.100&srpos=1&e=--1914-----en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxCO%7ctxTA-%22William+Crowther+Wilson%22-------2------ https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/WILLIAMCROWTHERWILSON/9ae624
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