New Scholarship Celebrates the Life, Integrity and Selflessness of Davidson Resident Roosevelt Wilson
July 16, 2024
- Author
- Danielle Strickland
Residents of the Town of Davidson and Davidson College students enjoy the serene setting of Roosevelt Wilson Park, named for a town resident whose legacy is one of beauty and service to others.
Davidson College’s location is one of its selling points. The campus and town are beautiful. It’s easy to get around. The people are friendly. It’s no surprise that as students decide on Davidson as their home for four years — and sometimes longer — connections formed between the college and the community can last a lifetime.
The late Roosevelt Wilson, longtime resident of the Town of Davidson, shared such a connection with a Davidson alum who has created a scholarship in his name. Though the donor wishes to remain anonymous and keep the spotlight on the new fund’s namesake, she is happy to talk about the meaningful relationship and inspiring influence that led her to make a significant gift to alma mater.
“Mr. Wilson was someone who truly reflected thoughtfully on life and what brings meaning to life,” she said. “He exemplified what I call the union of the mind and the heart — the importance of living with integrity. To me, he exemplified the best of the Davidson community.”
The scholarship, which will help students with financial need, also gives preference to students who share Wilson’s characteristic work ethic, generosity, resilience and commitment to community well-being. Inspired by the donor’s generous intentions and Wilson’s example, the college will fund the scholarship until the endowment is fully in place.
Education, Beauty & Community
Following service in the U.S. Navy, Roosevelt Wilson drove a sanitation truck for the town and also was responsible for connecting and disconnecting the electricity and water for town residents. At night, he worked at Burlington Mills in Mooresville. Over the years, he took a strong interest in horticulture, which later became his claim to fame, both for his work on the town’s gardens, residential lawns and the perfection of his residence. His home and yard was the site of his granddaughter’s wedding reception and was often featured in the Mecklenburg Gazette and Charlotte News. He remained employed by the Town of Davidson, on a part-time basis, until his late 80s.
“Our grandfather — well, we called him Papa — had a deep love for people,” said granddaughter DeEtta Rivens. “He wanted to see the best in everyone.”
“He also loved the outdoors and had a green thumb,” said another granddaughter, Valerie Webster. “You’d think he had a degree in horticulture. He could take a weeded field, and the next thing you knew, it was nothing but beauty and growth.”
“That’s what he did for the park that’s now Roosevelt Wilson Park and so many other areas around town without being asked,” said granddaughter Kimberly Soublet.
The town named the park, which sits at 420 Griffith Street, in honor of Wilson’s service to the community, and the Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg established the Roosevelt Wilson Vocational Service Award.
In addition to a deep passion for horticulture, Wilson’s commitment to education extended to his four children and 10 grandchildren..
“Papa had a shed on the side of the house, which became a paper shed,” said Ladonna Mayhew, another granddaughter. “He would collect newspapers, and we’d sneak down there, and I think that’s why we’re all readers to this day. We had the privilege, thanks to him, of having exposure to things we wouldn’t have known about otherwise. I always felt like we were able to talk to our teachers more than our peers could because we knew more about what was going on in the world.”
“My mom didn’t always like us to go down to that shed because the dye from the papers would get all over us,” laughed Soublet. “Papa would say ‘leave them alone,’ and that was that. He grew up very poor, and he wanted us to learn and do things he didn’t get to do. He took us on vacation every year, and it was fun, but it was always educational.”
His family is thrilled about the scholarship and appreciates the fund’s intent to honor their grandfather’s personal integrity and the way he valued every person.
“If my grandfather said he was going to do something, no matter how difficult it may turn out to be, he would fulfill that promise,” said Webster. “He would go the extra mile for people and expect nothing in return. I remember at his funeral, we were driving down the street, and every few feet, someone would be standing on the side of the road, saluting. That shows you the effect he had on people.”
When the anonymous donor was a high school student looking for the right place to spend her undergraduate years, she recalls being asked on the Davidson College application what she would bring to the community.
“Very few schools ask that question,” she said. “And it’s one of the first steps in instilling that life-of-service commitment.”
The donor admires the way Wilson lived a life dedicated to the service of others, especially during a time when people are caught up in the hustle and bustle of life — when it’s easy, she said, to forget the importance of choosing the way we wish to live.
“This scholarship is meant to honor his being,” she said. “He was a good neighbor, had a beautiful presence, was thoughtful about life and deed. He was a good, good person. I believe so much in the way Davidson tries to wed character with scholarship, and it’s really important to me to try to open opportunities for all.”
