Matilda Dodge Wilson was born in Walkerton, Canada, in 1883 and became one of the most influential women of 20th-century America. Wilson is best known for her contributions to the founding of Oakland University and the lasting legacy she left upon the institution.
“While in the early years, her [Wilson] goal was to uplift the poor, both physically and emotionally, later she concentrated on higher education and cultural enhancement in southeastern Michigan,” Laura S. Riggs, author of “The Responsible Philanthropy of Matilda Dodge Wilson,” said.
Although she was born in Canada, Wilson’s family moved to Detroit shortly after her birth in 1884. She attended Detroit Public Schools and later graduated from Gorsline Business College in 1902.
After graduation, Wilson found employment as a secretary to John and Horace Dodge at their automotive business, the Dodge Motor Company.
Wilson found passion and love through her job as a secretary under the Dodge Brothers. In 1907, she married John Dodge.
Throughout her marriage, Wilson maintained the Meadow Brook Hall estate — the property would later be donated to Oakland University and be a cornerstone of its vibrant and cumulative history.
Even while maintaining multiple households, including the Meadow Brook Farms property and her family home in Grosse Pointe, Wilson made a point to ensure that she never neglected her interests. Wilson enjoyed several hobbies, including art, history, agriculture and philanthropy.
After the passing of her first husband, John Dodge, Wilson inherited his shares in the burgeoning Dodge Motor Company. In 1924, Wilson and Anna Dodge — Horace Dodge’s widow — sold the company.
In 1925, Wilson married Alfred Wilson, and they settled down in the Dodge farmhouse located on the Meadow Brook estate.Wilson gradually expanded the farmland and stock over the years, and by 1939, the farm was spread over 2,600 acres.
John Hanna provided valuable assistance to Wilson in developing Meadow Brook’s poultry stock, and they became close friends.
Hanna became the president of Michigan State University in 1941. In 1957, Wilson donated the Meadow Brook estate to the school, becoming Michigan State Univeristy-Oakland (MSU-O). Along with their land, the couple donated $2 million to help fund the school.
In 1963, the school was renamed Oakland University. OU became independent of MSU in 1970.
During the founding and establishment of OU, Wilson served as the first female lieutenant governor of Michigan, much to the disappointment of many male politicians.
Despite the judgment of her male political peers, Wilson was not unfamiliar with being recognized as the smart and capable woman she was. In her lifetime, she was board chairman of Fidelity Bank and Trust Company, elected to the State Board of Agriculture (the governing board of MSU) and served as a trustee on MSU’s board for a few years.
“Matilda Wilson was a tremendously vital person. She was 83 years old when she died, and she died in Belgium on a search for new blood for her line of Belgian draft horses. This is an example of the energy she put into her work,” Frederick Nash, Matilda R. Wilson fund former president, said.
Matilda Dodge Wilson should be remembered for her outstanding achievements in postsecondary education. Even today, Oakland University continues to impact the lives of thousands of students each year.
To learn more about Matilda Dodge Wilson’s lasting legacy, visit the Meadow Brook Hall webpage.
