Wilson was born in Gibson City, Illinois, and lived in San Bernardino for 61 years. He was associated with several prominent local attorneys including Ralph E. Swing. They formed Swing & Wilson. Swing was a San Bernardino native. He was one of the local citrus industry’s biggest boosters; he helped found the first National Orange Show and served as manager and later board president. He was appoint
ed City Attorney of San Bernardino, and after San Bernardino adopted a City Charter in 1905, he became the first elected City Attorney of San Bernardino. In the 1910s, Swing represented San Bernardino in the City’s landmark legal battle with Riverside over control of local water. He was a leader in establishing the Metropolitan Water District in the mid-1920s. In 1922, he was elected to the State Senate where he served 28 years. He was one of California's most influential senators and earned the stature of dean of the senate. In 1949, Swing was honored by the naming of the newly built Swing Auditorium, a San Bernardino landmark hosting rock ’n’ roll legends such as The Rolling Stones (1964) Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and Elton John. Wilson began a new firm in 1923 emphasizing civil litigation. From 1930 to 1934, Wilson served as San Bernardino City Attorney and from 1934 to 1938 was a member of the Water Commissioners. He partnered with Martin J. Coughlin, who would go on to become Superior Court judge in 1945 and Justice of the Court of Appeal in 1960. Wilson was a prominent water law attorney who represented various local citrus growers and argued cases before both California and U.S. Supreme Courts. In 1946 Wilson's son William H. Wilson joined the firm which became Wilson and Wilson. Prominent attorneys Caywood J. Borror and James R. Dunn joined the firm after serving in the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. The firm became Wilson, Borror & Dunn and later Wilson, Borror, Dunn & Scott. Wilson retired from the firm in 1965 and died on April 25, 1973 at the age of 87. Coughlin, William H. Wilson, Borror and Dunn all served as President of the San Bernardino County Bar Association. Borror also served as President of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. Borror, Dunn also served as Chapter President of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Borror and Dunn were both honored with the John B. Surr Award, SB County Bar Association's top honor. In addition to Coughlin, judges who were associated with the firm include LeRoy A. Simmons, Keith D. Davis and R. Glenn Yabuno. The firm practiced in downtown San Bernardino at various locations beginning with the Andreson Building on E Street and on the third floor of the former Bank of California Building at 255 North D Street with a North view of the beautiful San Bernardino mountains. Timothy Prince of Tomlinson & Prince, LLP, who practiced with the firm until 1998, still practices law on the fourth floor of that building.
