Joseph C. Wilson papers
Biographical / Historical note
Joseph C. "Joe" Wilson (December 13, 1909-November 22, 1971) was born and raised in Rochester and developed Xerox Corporation into a hugely successful international enterprise, the profitability of which transformed both the City of Rochester and the University of Rochester. Wilson graduated from West High School in 1927 and was a member of the University of Rochester's class of 1931, the first to graduate from the newly built River Campus. He then attended Harvard Business School, where he graduated in 1933 before returning to join the family business, Haloid Company, which manufactured photographic paper. By 1946, Wilson was president and general manager of Haloid, which would become the Xerox Corporation in 1960. Under his leadership, Haloid purchased the rights to the reprographic process invented by Chester Carlson known as xerography. It would take over a decade to develop it into the 914 photocopier which was launched in 1959. The product revolutionized the way business was done around the world.
Wilson believed in the interrelated nature of business and community. Thus, he was involved in many community, business, and charitable organizations. He became a trustee of the University of Rochester in 1949, eventually becoming Chair of the Board of Trustees in 1959. He was also president of the Community Chest (now known as the United Way), a position which had also been held by Eastman Kodak founder George Eastman. Wilson died suddenly of a heart attack on November 22, 1971 while having lunch with New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller.
Timeline:
1909 - Born in Rochester, NY to Joseph R. and Katherine Upton Wilson
1927 - Graduated West High School
1931 - Graduated University of Rochester
1933 - Graduated Harvard Business School; Assistant to Sales Manager, Haloid Company
1935 - Married to Marie C. "Peggy" Curran
1936 - Secretary of Haloid Company
1938 - Secretary-Treasurer of Haloid Company
1940 - Treasurer and board member of Haloid Company
1945 - Vice President of Haloid Company
1946 - President and General Manager of Haloid Company
1947 - Haloid Company acquires rights to xerography from Battelle Memorial Institute
1949 - Trustee of University of Rochester
1950 - Member of Community Chest of Rochester and Monroe County
1951 - General Chair of fundraising for United Negro College Fund
1952 - President of Rochester Chamber of Commerce
1954 - Chair of Corporate Relations Committee of University of Rochester
1956 - Formed Rank-Xerox; Chair of Trustee Steering Committee of University of Rochester
1958 - Chair of Executive Committee of University of Rochester
1959 - Chair of Board of Trustees of University of Rochester; 914 office copier introduced by Haloid-Xerox Company
1961- Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation
1962 - Formed Fuji-Xerox
1963 - Established Katherine Upton Wilson Scholarships for the children of Xerox employees; established Haloid-Xerox Professorship in International Economics
1964 - Board member of Committee for Economic Development
1966 - Chair of Xerox Corporation; Chair of United Nations Association of United States
1967 - Honorary Chair of Board of Trustees of University of Rochester; President of Community Chest of Rochester and Monroe County; Chair of Metropolitan Housing Committee
1971 - Chair of Nixon's President's Committee on Health Education; died November 22 in New York City
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of correspondence, minutes, reports, speeches, and clippings from Wilson's participation in numerous business and community organizations. The bulk of the collection is dated 1959-1971, a period of growth for Xerox as well as the city and University of Rochester.
The collection includes material relating to Wilson's activities at Xerox including discussions of patents and competing products; at the University of Rochester including innovations in investment strategy, the search for the University's sixth president, and the search for a new director of Eastman School of Music; and in various community organizations such as Community Chest, Metropolitan Housing Committee, and Governor's Steering Committee on Social Problems. The collection also includes numerous speeches given by Wilson extolling the interdependent nature of business and society; documents detailing his personal finances such as stock holdings and taxes; and numerous honors, awards, and certificates such as plaques, honorary degrees, and commemorative photographs.
Topics in the collection include University matters such as development, endowment investment, and student protest; community matters such as low-income housing, charitable giving, and racial tensions; and business matters such as philanthropy, corporate philosophy, venture capitalism, taxation, and the stock market.
Creator
Dates
- Creation: 1919-1977
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1952-1971
Language of Materials
English
Extent
82 linear feet (179 containers)
Access
For access to this collection, please contact the University of Rochester Archives (archives@library.rochester.edu) at least two business days prior to your planned visit.
Please note: Some materials may be restricted or require permission for use.
Use
Reproductions may be made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information, please contact the University of Rochester Archives (archives@library.rochester.edu).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Marie C. Wilson, 1977.
Preferred Citation
[Item title, item date], Joseph C. Wilson Papers, D.273, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester.
Arrangement
The records have been arranged in six series.
Series 1: Business and community, 1951-1971
Subseries 1: Xerox and Rank-Xerox, 1951-1963
Subseries 2: University of Rochester, 1956-1969
Subseries 3: Other directorships, trusteeships, and memberships, 1955-1971
Subseries 4: Community interest, 1962-1971
Series 2: Speeches, articles, and speech material, 1952-1971
Subseries 1: Speech materials, 1960-1971
Subseries 2: Speeches and articles, 1952-1971
Series 3: Correspondence, 1964-1972
Series 4: Personal taxes and expenses, 1934-1974
Series 5: Honors, awards, biographies, and memorials 1956-1972
Series 6: Photographs, 1931-1973
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Bibliography
McKelvey, Blake. Business As a Profession: The Career of Joseph C. Wilson Founder of Xerox. Rochester, NY: Office of the City Historian, 2003.
Ellis, Charles D. Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2006.
Subject
- Wilson, Joseph C. (Joseph Chamberlain), 1909-1971 (Person)
- Xerox Corporation (Organization)
- University of Rochester (Organization)
- Community Chest (Rochester, N.Y.) (Organization)
- Title
- Joseph C. Wilson papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- John M. Green
- Date
- August 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation
Library Details
Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library
