Arthur J. Wilson
Arthur Jewell Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Accountant |
| Known for | First Black CPA in Illinois |
Arthur J. Wilson was an American Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who was the second Black CPA in the United States and the first in Illinois. He was influential integrating the accounting profession in the United States.
Biography[edit]
Arthur Jewell Wilson was the son of Maynard Wilson, who served as secretary to the mayor of Omaha, Nebraska for nearly 20 years.[1] He graduated from the University of Illinois, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, and then went to work for Hygienic Manufacturing Company, where his interest in business was cultivated by Anthony Overton.[2] He later obtained employment as a cashier at Binga State Bank and, in 1923 qualified for his CPA license, becoming the second Black CPA in the United States and the first in Illinois.[3]
Because most states required work experience in accounting prior to licensing, many Black accountants reported difficulty in meeting the requirements due to trouble finding employment with a white-owned CPA firm. Wilson was able to obtain licensure due, in part, to the fact that the state of Illinois had not yet enacted legislation requiring apprenticeship to become a CPA. He, in turn, mentored other aspiring Black CPAs and, by 1945, half of all Black CPAs in the United States worked in the Chicago area.[4] He has been credited as the mentor to Mary T. Washington.[5]
Wilson eventually went on to serve as Vice-President of Binga State Bank.[5][6]
Wilson's son, Arthur Jewell Wilson, Jr., was a standout basketball player at Princeton University and later chief of police of East St. Louis, Illinois.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Art Wilson". Ivy League. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Wins Unusual Honors". The Half-Century Magazine. 1923. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Rhinehart, Charlene (3 July 2023). "Breaking Barriers: Can Arthur J. Wilson's Milestone as Illinois' First Black CPA Usher in a New Path of Opportunities in Today's World?". Chicago Southsider. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
Back in 1923, Arthur Jewell Wilson achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first Black CPA in Illinois. His achievement not only broke barriers locally but also positioned him as the second Black CPA in the nation, following the trailblazing success of John Cromwell in 1921.
- ^ Hammond, Theresa (June 2002). "Counting on Change". The Crisis.
- ^ a b "The Past Present and Future of Black CPAs". Tennessee CPA. July 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ "BLACK CPA #2 - ARTHUR J. WILSON, CPA". National Society of Black Certified Public Accountants. Retrieved 26 September 2023.