Fred Wilson Collection

Collection

Identifier: MSS-109

Scope and Content Note

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The Fred Wilson Collection contains correspondence, ephemera, news clippings, and memorabilia dating from 1907 to 1967. These papers document Wilson's careers as merchandiser, public servant, and patron of Native American arts and are divided into four series.

Series I: Native American Arts Subject Files is divided into two subseries. Sub-Series A: Trading Posts and Fairs consists of correspondence files and collected ephemera, news clippings, and memorabilia showing Wilson's trading posts and exhibitions between 1930 and 1965. Box 1, Folder 1 contains Wilson's correspondence with William Wrigley, Jr. concerning the opening of a branch of Wilson's trading post at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Sub-Series B: Native American Artists contains correspondence and printed matter concerning Native American mythology, artistry and handicrafts, and noted artists dating from 1927 to 1961. Box 4, Folders 1 and 3 contain correspondence with, and biographical printed matter about, Pawnee artist Acee Blue Eagle and Navajo artist Pop Chalee (Merina Lujan Hopkins).

Series II: Phoenix Municipal Government is composed of clipping files describing Wilson's work at two governmental posts between 1933 and 1945.

Series III: Commercial Enterprises contains correspondence, printed matter, and memorabilia dating from 1908 to 1931 and documenting automobile sales, racing, and construction exhibits.

Series IV: Miscellaneous Subjects houses personal correspondence, ephemera, news clippings, and memorabilia dating from 1908 to 1927. These materials include biographical information about Wilson and document some of his commercial and civic activities.

Dates

Creation: 1907-1967

Language of Materials

Material in English

Access Restrictions

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Copyright

Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.

Biographical Note

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Frederic Edwards Wilson was born to William and Laura (Edwards) Wilson in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 15, 1883. He was the oldest of three children, including Ella Campbell (Wilson) Johnson (1886-) and Margaret (Wilson) Newell (1890-1978). Fred Wilson began his career with Maxwell-Briscoe, a Tarrytown, New York car company, in 1905. In 1909, he moved to the Overland Automobile Company (later known as Willis-Overland), where he was in charge of sales, marketing, and service in Houston, Dallas, and Cleveland. He worked for the Midwest Engine Company (1918-1920), Stutz Motor Car (1921-1923), Chrysler (1923-1925), and R. H. Collins Automobile Company (1925-1928) before moving to Phoenix, Arizona in 1933. Here, Wilson served as City Manger (1935-1936) before purchasing Vaughn's Indian Store in 1936. He changed the name to Fred Wilson's Indian Trading Post and operated a chain of these stores throught the southwest. Wilson retired from the business in 1962 but continued to study Native American art and patronize artists until his death in 1969.

Wilson first married Georgiana Pendleton McIntosh and the couple had one son, William E. (1910-). Georgiana was deceased in 1915, and Wilson later married Ruth Rardin (1888-1962).

Full extent

7 Box(es)

Full extent

4 Linear Feet

Additional description

Abstract

Arrangement

This collection consists of seven boxes divided into four series:

Series I: Native American Arts Subject Files
Series II: Phoenix Municipal Government
Series III: Commercial Enterprises
Series IV: Miscellaneous Subjects

Provenance

Fred Wilson's estate donated these papers to the Arizona Collection in 1969 (Accession #1969-00086).

Separated Materials

Photographs received with this collection have been separated and processed as CP W: Fred Wilson Photographs (guide available at http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/asu/cp_w.xml.