Amos Parker Wilder (February 15, 1862 – July 2, 1936) was an American journalist and diplomat who served as United States Consul General to

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

in the early 20th century.

Early life and education

Wilder was born on September 10, 1861, in

Calais, Maine Calais is a city in Washington County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,079, making Calais the largest municipality by population in Washington County, but the third least-populous city in Maine (after Ha ...

, the son of Amos Wilder and Charlotte P. Wilder. He earned an A.B. and Ph.D from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Career

From 1882 to 1892 he edited the ''New Haven Palladium'', and from 1892 to 1894, worked as an editorial writer in New York City. In 1894, he moved to Wisconsin, where he purchased a one-half interest in the ''

Wisconsin State Journal The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of Septembe ...

'', and in 1901 acquired controlling interest. Wilder was a devout Congregationalist and served as a church deacon. He was also and teetotaler and temperance advocate from his youth. He was in favor of women's suffrage. In 1906, Wilder was appointed United States Consul General in Hong Kong and in 1909 transferred to be United States Consul General in Shanghai, serving until 1914. In Shanghai, given his views on alcohol, he refused to help an American brewery enter the Chinese market on moral grounds stating he was willing to resign his position.Wisconsin Literary Luminaries: From Laura Ingalls Wilder to Ayad Akhtar, p38 After returning to the United States, Wilder spent the remainder of his life in the north east of the country, holding various important positions. From 1921 to 1929 was associate editor of the New Haven Journal Courier. He was also head of the Yale-China Program.

Family

Wilder married Isabella Thornton Niven. They had six children:

Amos Wilder Amos Niven Wilder (September 18, 1895 – May 1, 1993) was an American poet, minister, and theology professor. Life Wilder was born in Madison, Wisconsin. He studied for two years at Oberlin College (1913–1915), but volunteered in the A ...

, a theologian and poet;

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...

, a writer;

Charlotte Wilder Charlotte Wilder (August 28, 1898 – May 26, 1980) was an American poet and academic who worked in the Federal Writers Project. Wilder published poetry in ''The Nation'' and ''Poetry Magazine''. She also published poetry collections in 19 ...

, a poet and professor of English; Isabel Wilder, a novelist; and

Janet Wilder Dakin Janet Wilder Dakin (June 3, 1910 – October 7, 1994), was an American philanthropist and zoologist, known for her animal advocacy and environmental work. Biography Janet Frances Wilder was born in China, the daughter of Isabella Niven and A ...

, an author and professor of biology. A twin brother of Thornton Wilder died at birth.

Death

Wilder died on July 2, 1936, in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

, Connecticut and was buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery in

Hamden, Connecticut Hamden is a New England town, town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant (Connecticut), Sleeping Giant". The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecti ...

References

External links

Photograph of Wilder with Wu Ting Fang

Portrait of Wilder

Wilder with his family circa 1906
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilder, Amos Parker 1862 births 1936 deaths American diplomats Consuls-general for the United States in Shanghai Consuls-general for the United States in Hong Kong and Macau American expatriates in British Hong Kong