Early Years, Education, Military
Wilson was born in Carlsbad, the seat of Eddy County in southeastern New Mexico, to Louisianans Hamilton Paul and Lola C. Wilson. He was reared in Vivian in northern Caddo Parish and graduated in 1949 from Vivian High School, now North Caddo High School. Thereafter, he entered the U.S. Army, attained the rank of sergeant, and served during the Korean War. After military service, he obtained a bachelor's degree in 1954, from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma.
A successful businessman, Wilson owned two supermarkets, including the Big Star in Vivian, and he was chairman of the board of the state-chartered Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Vivian, which also has a Shreveport branch. Wilson helped to form the Peoples Bank & Trust Company of Blanchard in Caddo Parish in 1972. While a conflict of interest by virtue of his activities with the bank in Vivian prevented him from serving on the board in Blanchard as well, he did own stock in the Blanchard bank, and as a legislator he was able to get the state charter approved. Wilson was a Shriner.
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