David K. Wilson was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the Chairman of the Cherokee Equity Corporation, a privately held insurance corporation, as well as Genesco, a publicly traded footwear corporation. Additionally, he became one of Tennessee's largest philanthropists, focusing on his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, but also other colleges, schools and museums. He was also a major donor and decision-maker within the Republican Party.
Early life
David Kirkpatrick Wilson was born on June 15, 1919 in Nashville, Tennessee. His father, Charles P. Wilson, was the co-owner of the Fletcher-Wilson Coffee Company in Nashville; his mother was Florence Moss Wilson. He had two brothers, Charles P. Wilson, Jr. and William Moss Wilson. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1941 and attended the Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During World War II, he served in the United States Navy for four years, as part of a naval construction unit in the Pacific.
Career
In 1946, Wilson co-founded the Cherokee Insurance Company, later known as the Cherokee Equity Corporation. He served as its Chairman from its creation in 1946 to his death in 2007. He also served as Chairman of Genesco, a publicly traded footwear corporation headquartered in Nashville. Wilson resigned from Genesco in 1986. According to Genesco, Wilson and two other directors left to avoid a potential conflict of interest. Wilson was on the board of directors of First American Bank, one of Genesco's creditors, during this time. Wilson was also a director of Commerce Union Bank. He served as president of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and helped found Leadership Nashville. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Metro Airport Authority for the Nashville International Airport.
Republican politics
Over the years, he was a major donor to Republican candidates. As early as 1973, he was the largest donor to Howard Baker's senatorial re-election campaign, by donating $10,000 in public records. He became heavily involved in funding of the National Republican Party in 1973-1974, when future President George H. W. Bush was chairman. In 1973, he admitted that the Watergate scandal had curtailed donations from big donors to the GOP, while small donations of $100 were still coming in. However, he sent encouraging letters to donors to help revitalize Republican fundraising efforts. In 1996, he served as co-finance Chair of Lamar Alexander's presidential campaign. In that year, Wilson's family was the largest donor to Alexander's campaign, giving $83,750. Shortly before he died in 2007, he donated to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.
In 1942, Wilson married Anne Potter, daughter of millionaire businessman and philanthropist Justin Potter. They had four sons, Patrick Wilson, Justin P. Wilson, William, and Blair. Patrick Wilson died in a car accident. After Wilson's first wife died, he remarried to Paula R. Wilson. He was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church.
Death and legacy
Wilson died on May 20, 2007, and he was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville. The David K. Wilson Hall on the campus of Vanderbilt University is named in his honor. Additionally, his portrait, painted by Ann Street, hangs in Kirkland Hall, the administration building on the Vanderbilt campus.
