William Proctor Wilson
Encyclopedia
William Proctor Wilson was a businessman, philanthropist, and CEO of The Butterick Publishing Company
. As President and CEO, Wilson led one of the first leveraged buyout
s of the 1980s when a Butterick management group headed by Bill Wilson and John Lehmann purchased the company from American Can. The buyout was $12.5 million, of which all but $500,000 was borrowed. Wilson grew up the middle of three children born to Trevett Abbot Wilson of Warren, Rhode Island
and Jesse Proctor of New York. He descended from a long line of influential figures in Rhode Island history, Roger Williams (theologian)
, Nathan Miller (Rhode Island), Joel Abbot
, and Thomas G. Turner
. He was married to Mildred Annette Smith for many years with whom he had two daughters. They divorced in 1976. Later in life, he married his third wife Leona Rocha of Maui, Hawaii, the inventor of the fashion ruler and the 2010 elected member to the Board of Education Maui Residency Seat for the Hawaii Department of Education. The two had worked together at The Butterick Publishing Company when she was their national spokesperson and he the CEO; they remained married until his death in 2010. He, with his wife Leona Rocha, established the William & Leona Wilson Scholarship Fund at the University of Hawaii
Maui College.
Butterick Publishing Company
The Butterick Publishing Company was founded by Ebenezer Butterick to distribute the first graded sewing patterns. By 1867, it had released its first magazine, Ladies Quarterly of Broadway Fashions, followed by The Metropolitan in 1868. These magazines contained patterns and fashion news.In 1873,...
. As President and CEO, Wilson led one of the first leveraged buyout
Leveraged buyout
A leveraged buyout occurs when an investor, typically financial sponsor, acquires a controlling interest in a company's equity and where a significant percentage of the purchase price is financed through leverage...
s of the 1980s when a Butterick management group headed by Bill Wilson and John Lehmann purchased the company from American Can. The buyout was $12.5 million, of which all but $500,000 was borrowed. Wilson grew up the middle of three children born to Trevett Abbot Wilson of Warren, Rhode Island
Warren, Rhode Island
Warren is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,611 at the 2010 census.-History:Warren was the site of the Indian village of Sowams on the peninsula called Pokanoket , and was first explored by Europeans in 1621, by Edward Winslow and Stephen Hopkins...
and Jesse Proctor of New York. He descended from a long line of influential figures in Rhode Island history, Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, Nathan Miller (Rhode Island), Joel Abbot
Joel Abbot
Joel Abbot was a U.S. naval officer who served notably in the War of 1812, and commanded a squadron during Commodore Perry's 1852 visit to Japan.-Biography:...
, and Thomas G. Turner
Thomas G. Turner
Thomas Goodwin Turner was an American politician and businessman who was the 26th Governor of Rhode Island 1859-1860.-Early life:Turner was born in Warren, Bristol County, Rhode Island October 24, 1810...
. He was married to Mildred Annette Smith for many years with whom he had two daughters. They divorced in 1976. Later in life, he married his third wife Leona Rocha of Maui, Hawaii, the inventor of the fashion ruler and the 2010 elected member to the Board of Education Maui Residency Seat for the Hawaii Department of Education. The two had worked together at The Butterick Publishing Company when she was their national spokesperson and he the CEO; they remained married until his death in 2010. He, with his wife Leona Rocha, established the William & Leona Wilson Scholarship Fund at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
Maui College.