Arthur McCandless Wilson (29 July 1902, Sherrard, Illinois – 13 June 1979,

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a New England town, town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university ...

) was a professor of biography and government. He is known primarily for his two-volume biography of

Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during t ...

. Wilson graduated in 1922 with A.B. from South Dakota's

Yankton College Yankton College was a private liberal arts college in Yankton, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with the Congregational Christian Churches (later the United Church of Christ). Yankton College produced nine Rhodes Scholars, more than any ...

. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1926 with B.A., in 1927 with B. Litt., and in 1931 with M.A. (as a Rhodes Scholar at

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

). He married Julia Mary Tolford in 1927. At Harvard University he graduated with M.A. in 1930 and Ph.D. in 1933. In

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

's department of biography, he was appointed in 1933 instructor, in 1936 assistant professor, and in 1940 full professor, retiring in 1967 as professor emeritus. During WWW II he served in Washington, DC, with the

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the first intelligence agency of the United States, formed during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines ...

. Wilson's book ''French Foreign Policy during the Administration of Cardinal Fleury, 1726–1743: A Study in Diplomacy and Commercial Development'', published in 1936 by Harvard University Press, was awarded in 1938 the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize of the

American Historical Association The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world, claiming over 10,000 members. Founded in 1884, AHA works to protect academic free ...

. Wilson's research on his famous biography of Diderot began in 1936 and received support from Guggenheim fellowships for the academic years 1939–1940 and 1956–1957. His wife helped him with the research, which caused them to travel to France, England, and Russia. Wilson's ''Diderot: The Testing Years, 1713–1759'' was published in 1957 by Oxford University Press. In 1972 two volumes were published as ''Diderot: The Testing Years, 1713–1759'' and ''Diderot: The Appeal to Posterity, 1759–1784''. The two-volume biography won the

National Book Award for Nonfiction The National Book Award for Nonfiction is one of five US annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". The panelists a ...

in 1973. The two-volume biography was translated into French as ''Diderot. Sa vie et son œuvre'', published in 1985 by Laffont/Ramsay. After his retirement in 1967, Wilson was a visiting professor at Columbia University for two years from 1967 to 1969. Upon his death he was survived by his widow. His remains were buried at Hillside Cemetery in

Norwich, Vermont Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census. Home to some of the state of Vermont's wealthiest residents, the municipality is a commuter town for nearby Hanover, New Hampshire acros ...

, the small town where he lived in retirement.

References

External links

The Papers of Arthur McCandless Wilson
at Dartmouth College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Arthur McCandless 1902 births 1979 deaths 20th-century American biographers Yankton College alumni Harvard University alumni Dartmouth College faculty People from Mercer County, Illinois Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford