Orlando Winfield Wilson Papers, [ca. 1928-1972]

Summary

Creators:

Wilson, O. W. (Orlando Winfield), 1900-1972

Abstract:

Letters written to him and by him; biographical material; manuscripts of his writings; copies of his speeches and statements; reprints and tear sheets of his articles and book reviews; personalia; awards and diplomas; memorial tributes; clippings; subject files. Relating to his career in police administration at Wichita, Kansas and Chicago, the development of the criminology program at the University of California, Berkeley, his consultant assignments and his writings in the field of police administration.

Extent:

Number of containers: 2 cartons, 3 boxes, 2 volumes and 1 oversize folder

Language:

English

Background

Biographical / historical:

Orlando Winfield Wilson, criminologist, police administrator and educator, was born on May 15, 1900 in Veblen, South Dakota. He started police work in 1921 as a patrolman with the Berkeley, California Police Department, working his way at the University of California as one of August Vollmer's "college cops." Graduating with an A.B. in 1924, he resigned from the Berkeley force in April 1925 to become chief of police in Fullerton, California. In 1928, on Vollmer's recommendation, he became police chief of Wichita, Kansas, a position he held until 1939 when he returned to Berkeley as professor of police administration at the School of Criminology, serving as dean, 1950-60. During this period he also did intermittent police consultation and advisory work, conducting a number of police surveys and directing reorganization of departments in several cities. In World War II, he served in the army in a variety of posts. In 1960 he went to Chicago at the request of Mayor Richard J. Daley, to head a blue-ribbon committee seeking a new police commissioner. The committee, after searching the country for a candidate, chose its own chairman, and Wilson accepted the job with the assurance that he would have the support he considered necessary to rebuild the department which had been rocked with graft and incompetence. Retiring in 1967 with a distinct record of achievement, he returned to California, living in Poway until his death on October 18, 1972.

Physical location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Related resources

Other descriptive data:

His papers were given to The Bancroft Library by his widow, Ruth Elinor Wilson, in May 1973. Covering the period 1928 to 1972, they include correspondence, biographical material, MSS of his writings, copies of speeches and statements, reprints and tear sheets of his articles and book reviews, personalia, awards and diplomas, memorial tributes, photographs and snapshots, clippings and subject files. The papers, in general, relate to his career in police administration at Wichita, Kansas, and Chicago; the development of the criminology program at the University of California, Berkeley; his consultant assignments; and his writings in the field of police administration. They are described in greater detail in the Key to Arrangement which follows. A list of the major correspondents represented in the collection follows the Key.

Some material relating to his work in Wichita was given by Mrs. Wilson to the Kansas State Historical Society, and his library went to the Chicago Police Training Academy and to the San Diego Police Department.

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

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