March 12, 1942

Politician Nick Wilson was born in the town of Monette (Craighead County). After earning a BS from Arkansas State University and a law degree from the University of Arkansas (UA) in Fayetteville (Washington County), Wilson made his first foray into politics when he served in the state’s constitutional convention in 1969. He was elected to the Arkansas Senate the following year, where he served for almost three decades. In 2000, Wilson, then one of the most powerful men in the state, was found to be the ringleader of a wide-ranging corruption scheme that diverted $5 million from child-support enforcement and workers’ compensation. He ended up pleading guilty at trial and served nearly six years in prison.