British politician who became Prime Minister 3/04/1974 upon Edward Heath’s resignation. He had formerly taught economics at Oxford and served as a government economist. Elected to Parliament in 1945, he became the youngest cabinet member in 20th century British politics. A member of the Labour Party, he was head of England’s government from 1964-1970 and 1974-1976, when he unexpectedly resigned on 3/16/1976.
The son of an industrial chemist, Wilson graduated from Oxford in 1937 where he taught economics and was a fellow of University College in 1938. He entered Parliament as a Labour member in 1945. He was a member of the Board of Trade from 1947-1951, ending many of the wartime controls on industry. He became a spokesman for the left-wing of the Labour party, and opposed party leader Hugh Gaitskell’s stand against unilateral nuclear disarmament. When Gaitskell died in 1963, Wilson won the leadership of the party, and became prime minister in 1964. The Labour Party was defeated in 1970, but Wilson regained power in February 1974, and served until 1976 when he resigned unexpectedly on 3/16/1976. He was knighted in 1976, and created a life peer in 1983.
His writings include “A Personal Record,” 1971, “Final Term: the Labour Government 1974-1976,” 1979 and “Memoirs,” 1986.
He and his wife, Mary, had two sons: Robin, a math lecturer at Oxford, and Giles, a schoolteacher.
Suffering for some years from Alzheimer’s Disease, he died 5/24/1995, London.
Link to Wikipedia biography