Charlie Wilson (Ohio politician)
A plainspoken Ohio Democrat who championed his working-class district for decades, first in the statehouse and then in the halls of Congress.
1943–2013 (age 70)·American businessman and politician·Birthday: January 18·The Silent Generation
Biography
Charlie Wilson was a political fixture in Eastern Ohio, a Democrat who wore his blue-collar roots as a badge of honor. Before Washington, he built a reputation in Columbus as a effective state legislator known for his direct style and focus on local issues like infrastructure and jobs. In 2006, after a bruising and unusual primary where he initially failed to submit enough valid petition signatures and had to run as a write-in candidate, he won election to the U.S. House. In Congress, Wilson was no bomb-throwing partisan; he was a pragmatic vote for the Democratic leadership who kept his focus squarely on the needs of Ohio's 6th district. He served on the Financial Services Committee, advocating for homeowners during the foreclosure crisis, and was a reliable supporter of the Affordable Care Act and the auto industry bailout, measures he believed protected his constituents.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Charlie was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charlie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Charlie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 70
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Served as the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 6th congressional district from 2007 until his death in 2013.
- Elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1976 and later served in the Ohio State Senate for over a decade.
- Successfully won a congressional primary election as a write-in candidate after his petition signatures were invalidated in 2006.
- Served on the House Committee on Financial Services, focusing on housing and banking issues relevant to his district.
- Was a key early supporter of John Edwards's 2004 presidential campaign and served as a national co-chair.
Did You Know?
He owned and operated a chain of drive-through beverage stores called 'Iggy's' in his hometown of St. Clairsville, Ohio.
Wilson was a licensed pilot and often flew himself around his largely rural district.
His 2006 write-in primary victory is considered one of the most difficult feats in modern congressional election history.
He was a member of the Congressional Coal Caucus and advocated for the coal industry important to his district's economy.
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