Researching Richard Wilson

His books included the novels The Girls from Planet 5 (1955); 30-Day Wonder (1960); and And Then the Town Took Off (1960); and the collections Those Idiots from Earth (1957) and Time Out for Tomorrow (1962). His short stories included "The Eight Billion" (nominated for a Nebula Award as Best Short Story in 1965); "Mother to the World" (nominated for the Hugo for Best Novelette in 1969 and winner of the Nebula in 1968); and "The Story Writer" (nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novella in 1979).

Wilson also worked in the public relations field as director of the Syracuse University News Bureau from 1964 to 1980. In 1980 he became the University's senior editor before retiring in 1982. He died March 29, 1987.

His other major contribution to science fiction and to Syracuse University was in successfully recruiting the donation of papers from many prominent science fiction writers to the University's George Arents Research Library. As part of this effort, Wilson wrote an article entitled "Syracuse University's Science Fiction Collections" for the May 1967 issue of the magazine Worlds of Tomorrow. The collection eventually included manuscripts, galley proofs, magazines, correspondence and art donated by Piers Anthony, Hal Clement, Keith Laumer, Larry Niven, Frederik Pohl and others, including Wilson himself. Initially housed in a warehouse annex, the papers eventually made their way to the climate-controlled top floor of Ernest Stevenson Bird Library on the Syracuse University campus. It has been called the "most important collection of science fiction manuscripts and papers in the world."

Wilson was born and raised in Los Angeles (residing in a house designed by Rudolph Schindler). He received his B.A. at the University of Colorado in 1963, and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1968 and 1972 respectively. Wilson taught at Michigan and Iowa State University before moving to the University of Virginia in 1976. He received the outstanding professor award at Virginia in 2001.

He has directed the Victorian Society's Nineteenth Century Summer School since 1979; it has been located in Boston, Philadelphia and currently Newport, RI.

Wilson's research and writing has focused on American architecture from the 18th to the 20th centuries. He has authored, co-authored or edited over a dozen books. He has served as an advisor and commentator for a number of television programs on PBS, C-SPAN, History Channel and A&E; he frequently appeared on the A&E program America's Castles.