Charles Henry Wilson

Charles Henry Wilson CBE (16 April 1914 – 1 August 1991) was an English business historian and Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge. His best known work is his multi-volume history of Unilever, which is credited with establishing corporate history as a subject worthy of academic attention in the UK. Early life and education Wilson was born in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire to Joseph Edwin Wilson and Louisa Maria née Berridge. He was educated at De Aston Grammar School. His forebears included small farmers and small businessmen, which contributed to his scepticism of the Marxism that was fashionable during the 1930s. Wilson then went on to study the historical tripos at Jesus College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he took part in the music club, as he played viola. Academically he was mentored by Edward Welbourne, a senior tutor of Emmanuel College, to delve into the history of the Dutch trade in East Anglia. He stayed at Cambridge for his postgraduate education through a research fellowship. After briefly serving in the British Admiralty, Wilson returned to Cambridge.