Mark Wilson

James "Mark" Wilson (April 11, 1929 – January 19, 2021) was an American magician and author, who was widely credited as the first major television magician and in the process establishing the viability of illusion shows as a television format. Early years Mark Wilson was the son of a salesman and he spent much of his youth traveling with his parents as his father moved about on business. He has said his interest in magic began when he was eight years old and saw a magician named Tommy Martin perform at a hotel in Indianapolis, where the Wilson family were staying at the time. The family later moved to Dallas, Texas, where, as a teenager, Wilson improved his magic knowledge by working for the Douglas Magicland shop as a clerk. As his skills improved he began performing magic shows at small functions. He attended the School of Business Administration at Southern Methodist University, where he majored in marketing, learning skills that were to help him in his future career. Television When television began to grow, Wilson launched a show titled Time for Magic on a local station in Dallas in 1955. Calling on his marketing training he made this show possible by attracting sponsorship from the Dr Pepper Bottling Company. He then expanded to other shows in Houston and San Antonio.