Dr. Zaphon Robert Wilson

Year Inducted: 2016

Dr. Zaphon Robert Wilson graduated from Wilkes Central High School and has an undergraduate and a Master’s Degree from Appalachian State University in Political Science. Wilson has a Doctorate in Political Science from Atlanta University, which is now Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Wilson is currently Dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Political Science at St. Augustine University in Raleigh, NC.

He has worked at Hampton University, North Carolina Central University, Savannah State University and has led the institution’s initial accreditation of its Master of Public Administration Degree from the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. His civic community work consisted of serving on boards for the Big Brother, Big Sister programs, Savannah Rape Crisis Center and Clear Channel radio stations.

In 2015, he received the Appalachian State University’s Face of Courage Award for his contributions during Appalachian State University’s early efforts to promote racial diversity. Wilson says of his student and faculty recruitment work at Appalachian, “It was the beginning of this conversation about diversity and how important it was for all of the students on campus. It wasn’t just because of a black question or black issues. It was to expose all of the students to a diversity of faculty members, different backgrounds and different experiences to enrich the living and learning environment at Appalachian.”

Wilson is the son of Dorothy Jean and Zaphon Wilson. His wife, the former Annette Ingram, also graduated from Wilkes Central and Appalachian State University. Dr. Annette Ingram Wilson was also a member of the Appalachian State University faculty. She is currently a professor of education at St. Augustine University in Raleigh. Their son, Kevin, graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta and is Creative Director for Creative Services for Active Production and Design in Atlanta, GA. Their daughter, Ada, earned a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is Director of Inclusive Student Excellence in the Department of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at UNC Chapel Hill.