ABSTRACT
John Louis Wilson Jr. was born on January 24, 1899, in Meridian, Mississippi, to a family that traced its lineage back to the American Revolutionary War. His maternal grandfather labored as a blacksmith and although born into slavery, sent his five children to college. His grandmother was one of the first public school music teachers in Mississippi. Wilson’s father was a minister. His mother was a pianist and music teacher. Both were graduates of Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
