William A. Wilson (diplomat)


William Albert Wilson was an American diplomat and businessman from Los Angeles.

Early years

Wilson's father was an engineer in the oil-tool business and his mother a Canadian. During World War II, he served as a captain in the Army Ordnance Corps.

Marriage

Wilson met his wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Johnson, at Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1936 and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1937 before marrying in 1938. They had two daughters. His wife died in 1996.

Diplomat

A close friend of President Ronald Reagan, Wilson was appointed on 11 February 1981 as the personal representative of the President to the Holy See, when the United States still did not have full diplomatic relations with the Vatican, and in 1984 as the first United States Ambassador to the Holy See with the establishment of official relations.

Death

Wilson died on December 5, 2009, aged 95.