It is with great sadness that we share news of the loss of Paul Wilson, retired Director of Intramural Rec Sports at the University of Oklahoma and long-time NIRSA Historian. Paul was an Emeritus member of the Association who first joined in 1976 and attended every conference except one from the time that he joined until 2019.
Paul leaves a legacy of his own contributions to the campus recreation profession, but he’s also played an instrumental role in shaping the legacies of many of his colleagues and friends. Paul served as the second dedicated Historian for NIRSA; following Roy Yarbrough, “Paul viewed the role not only as someone recording the milestones of our history, but also as educating people on who we are and how we got here,” says Lexi Chaput, Senior Assistant Director of Sport Programs & Development at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and current member of NIRSA’s History and Legacy Committee.
Many people will remember Paul capturing photos at NIRSA events, a skill and hobby he picked up while serving our country in Vietnam. Others will remember Paul as a hall of fame official who earned his stripes while in the Air Force. Still others will remember Paul as the first Black intramural director at a predominantly white institution, the University of Oklahoma, where Paul spent his entire professional career. In 2017, NIRSA published a profile of Paul’s extensive career achievements, association contributions, and personal passions: we invite members to read or revisit that profile in honor of Paul’s recent passing.
Paul’s contribution to the history of our association includes nine years of traveling to NIRSA Headquarters in Corvallis to catalogue our association’s rich history. He also directed the collection of recorded interviews with past presidents and honor award recipients.
With the news of Paul’s passing, many association leaders shared remembrances and stories honoring Paul. Below is just a small selection of those tributes.
“Paul Wilson was one of the pioneering Black Directors at a predominately White institution. When I met him in 1988 at the annual conference in Florida, I found a role model. A professional who looked like me, who I could look up to and learn from. It felt like a thirty-year classroom session! There is not one photo of Paul not smiling and enjoying the moment. A great professional, friend, family man, and a great Human of NIRSA! I will miss him dearly! 🙏🏾❤️” – Stan Shingles, Assistant Vice President at Central Michigan University, Past President of NIRSA, and 2019 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“A true and honest human, unforgettable smile and hug, wicked sense of humor! He carried the flag of NIRSA with pride and dedication for many years. He was a fountain of wisdom I loved to tap every opportunity I had. There will be some serious storytelling going on up yonder.” – Pat Besner, retired from the University of Toledo, Past President of NIRSA, and 2005 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“Paul was such a dedicated member who chronicled NIRSA history and was always ready to tell us stories of our past. Some of my most memorable times are when Paul came to the NIRSA Headquarters for his annual work on the NIRSA achieves. We would always have lunch and the stories continued. What a kind, caring person and a true NIRSA treasure. Paul will be missed by so many.” – Tom Kirch, retired from Oregon State University, Past President of NIRSA, and 2013 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“A great colleague, friend, NIRSA Historian, and even a better person. Paul will be dearly missed, but the stories and memories he captured will live on for NIRSA.” – Mick Deluca, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Campus Life at UCLA, Past President of NIRSA, and 2016 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“💔 Paul was a terrific human being. He was a giver and a sharer. As a NIRSA Historian, he was officious in his gathering of information about NIRSA and its evolution. He was simply someone you wanted to be around—warm, genuine, kind, and caring.” – Gene Lamke, Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University, Past President of NIRSA, and 1989 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“An amazing historian and humanitarian for all of us. Paul was just a precious man who loved dearly TEAM BLUE!” – Kathleen Hatch, Associate Vice President for Student Wellbeing at Kansas State University, Past President of NIRSA, and 2023 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“A great historian for NIRSA. He will be missed.” – Bill Healey, Director, Recreation and Wellness at the University of West Florida
“Paul was high-quality human who loved this association. He had the gift of storytelling and shared them freely. This is a sad day for NIRSA.” – Eric Nickel, Director of University Recreation at James Madison University, 2020 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“Paul was a warm and wonderful man. His smile and laugh are memorable to me, even after all these years of not talking to him. He will be sorely missed.” – Charley Fisher, retired from Oregon State University, Past President of NIRSA, and 1993 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“Paul was a good friend and colleague from the time I started my job at the University of Nebraska through the remainder of my professional career. We shared a lot of stories during our years together in the Big 8 and Big XII conferences, as well as NIRSA. I will miss his welcoming personality, enthusiasm, smile, and zest for life.” – Stan Campbell, Campus Recreation Director Emeritus at the University of Nebraska, Past President of NIRSA, and 2002 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“I always appreciated his dedication and loyalty to our association and our individual members. He was such a genuinely good man.” – Maureen “Moe” McGonagle, Director, CENTERS, LLC At DePaul University, Past President of NIRSA, and 2015 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“Paul was a pillar of NIRSA Region IV and was very welcoming to this Boston Yankee when I arrived in Texas 40 years ago, even though he was the Director at OU😊. Paul was always a gracious host and was instrumental in putting together the slide show of former Honor Awards recipients that was first presented at the Honor Award ceremony at the New Orleans conference! Paul will be missed, but his smile and friendship will stay with me until I follow his path.” – Mike Waldron, Associate Director, Human Resources & Contracts at Texas A & M University-College Station, and Past President of NIRSA
“We will all miss Paul Wilson, as he always had a smile and good conversation whenever we got together at NIRSA conferences. He is a part of our rich history and helped to chronicle much of it as historian and through his ever-present photojournalism. A good friend and colleague, who will be missed by many of us. But I feel fortunate to have had the years to enjoy his council and conversation.” – John Meyer, retired from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Past President of NIRSA, and 2006 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“I join you all in mourning this loss to our NIRSA family, but also in celebrating Paul’s extraordinary life. I will remember his ever-present smile and authentic joyfulness. I always looked forward to our conversations and his genuine interest in me. I recall a talk we had once about leaders and leadership during the School of Rec Sports, in which he shared what it had been like for him to grow up during segregation. He described the very real impact that the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision had on him personally, as he was thereafter able to attend an integrated public school; he also spoke of the impact that Justice Thurgood Marshall, as a single leader, had upon him. It was an impactful conversation for both of us. He was clearly a remarkable teacher, leader, and friend.” – Jan Gong, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor at the University of California-Davis, Past President of NIRSA, and 1997 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“So sad that yet another pillar of our NIRSA has moved upstairs. Too many, too fast. One of the highlights of my experiences is the opportunity to be interviewed by Paul a few years after serving as NIRSA President. What an enjoyable experience; I feel I learned more from him through that experience than anything I could say on tape. He was such a large, yet gentle soul and his service to our NIRSA will stay with us all for years to come!” – Greg Jordan, University Recreation and Well-Being at Oakland University, Past President of NIRSA, and 2017 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“I join all of you in expressing my grief at the loss of a terrific friend. Our face-to-face conversations at NIRSA meetings were joyful and sometimes hysterical as we recalled the past and postulated about the future. I can’t recall a dull moment with Paul…I won’t ramble about the many stories at which we either laughed or became somber, but I have been thinking about him in recent hours as a leader, historian, sports official, professional, gentleman, and class act.” – Tom Jones, Director Emeritus at Central Michigan University, Past President of NIRSA, and 1987 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“Paul is one of the people I remember when I first began with NIRSA in 1995. I didn’t know who he was at the time, but his contagious smile and joy always surrounded him. As I became more of a constant with NIRSA, I was in spaces to listen to his knowledge and stories that included his love for our organization and the people within it. I am forever thankful to have been in those spaces and will always have the memory of his smile. He will be missed dearly.” – Mila Padgett, Director, Campus Recreation and Wellness at the University of South Carolina Aiken, and Past President of NIRSA
“Over the years, Paul was gracious in sharing a smile and conversation. He always welcomed the opportunity to reach out and chat about the history of NIRSA and he didn’t mind this curious researcher asking questions for various projects I was working on. I can still remember one day I caught up with him on the phone in summer of 2020, while I was sitting outside working, we talked about history and the current state of the times. His light will continue to be felt by many.” – Cara Lucia, Chair, Associate Professor at Elon University, and Past President of NIRSA
“Paul was one of the most welcoming people I’ve met in NIRSA. Not only was he knowledgeable and funny, but he was always open to talk about anything with you. He will be missed!.” – Ken Morton, Director of Campus Recreation at Stephen F. Austin State University, and Past President of NIRSA
“I am so sad to hear of Paul’s passing. He truly was one of those persons I always looked forward to seeing at NIRSA, and sharing laughter, smiles, and hugs…My thoughts are with Charlotte and the Wilson family, as well as our NIRSA family who benefited from knowing Paul.” – Pam Su, Executive Director of Programs and Services at the University of California-San Francisco
“Paul not only chronicled the story of NIRSA, he also created memories for so many his colleagues. He will be missed by his family and his NIRSA family.” – Dennis Corrington, Executive Director at Texas A&M University-College Station, Past President of NIRSA, and 1985 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
“I had the pleasure and privilege of picking Paul up from BWI airport on several occasions for various HBCU summits. On those occasions, Paul was gracious in sharing his stories and wisdoms of the association, the profession, and of himself. The 100+ mile trip from BWI to Delaware State University gave me several hundred miles to listen to and learn from Paul.” – Bill Crockett, Assistant Vice President, Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Past President of NIRSA, and 2024 NIRSA Honor Award recipient
Memorial services
Paul is survived by his wife, Charlotte; sons, Paul (Ravon), Emmanuel and Marlon Wilson; daughter, Payge; stepdaughters, Angela Washington, and Kristi Dixon; grandchildren, Liliana, Kylie, Kiara, Kolbi, and Elijah; and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
The family will receive friends for a visitation from 5:00pm-8:00pm on Thursday, February 22, at Havenbrook Funeral Home in Norman, OK and from 5:00pm-8:00pm on Friday, February 23, at Ford-Wulf-Bruns Chapel in Coffeyville, KS.
Paul’s Homegoing Service will be at St. Johns Church of Faith in Coffeyville, on Saturday, February 24, at 10:00am local time. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery.
Online condolences may be shared at www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com or at Paul’s obituary page at www.fordwulfbrunschapel.com.
History and Legacy Committee
NIRSA’s History and Legacy Committee hopes that its work will continue highlight and pay tribute to the history of NIRSA and will honor Paul’s legacy and memory.
If you’d like to share historically significant milestones, or details about NIRSA’s legacy contributors, please contact either Co-Chair of the NIRSA History and Legacy Committee: Silvia Chan, Senior Associate Director of University of Connecticut Recreation or Mark Williams, Director of RecSports at the University of Notre Dame.
Pam Watts is currently the Executive Director at NIRSA.
