Frank Wiley Wilson was born on June 21, 1917 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was educated at the University of Tennessee, earning his B.A. in 1939 and his LL.B. in 1941. He was admitted to the bar in 1941 and began practicing law with Poore, Cramer, & Cox. Wilson remained with this firm until May 1942, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After being honorably discharged in 1946, he returned to Knoxville and founded a law practice with his lifelong friend Eugene Joyce. In addition to his work with Wilson & Joyce, Wilson also served as County Attorney for Anderson County from 1948-1950 and City Attorney for Norris, Tennessee from 1950-1961. Wilson left the practice of law in 1961 when he accepted the position of U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee. He was promoted to chief judge in 1969, and remained at this post until his death on September 29, 1982.
The majority of this collection documents Wilson’s service in the Jimmy Hoffa trial and Estes Kefauver’s 1948 presidential bid for which Wilson served as campaign manager. Other material includes opinions, speeches, minutes, and correspondence dating between 1940 and 1982. This collection is stored in approximately 25 linear feet of boxes.