The Flip Wilson Scholarship

Posted: 10.01.04

The late Flip Wilson left behind a generous gift for journalism students at five top universities, including the University of Washington: a scholarship covering tuition, fees, room and board and books for one year. This is the highest paying undergraduate scholarship in the UW Department of Communication.

UW Communication Professor Kathleen Fearn-Banks, a long time friend and former publicist of Flip Wilson, helped convince him that a scholarship would keep his name and legacy alive; she wanted him to be remembered for more than just his portrayal of Geraldine Jones, perhaps his most famous character. The Flip Wilson Scholarship recognizes the late comedian's contribution to television and comedy as well as his popularity as a television star.

Saran Nason is the 2004-2005 recipient of the Flip Wilson scholarship. She comes from a mixed ethnic background. She is a transfer student from Cascadia Community College, where she helped start several student clubs, including one that established Cascadia's first literary magazine, The Wetlands Review. She is a senior at the University of Washington, majoring in Journalism and English. She is a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a volunteer based fraternity, and hopes that one day her writing will change the world.

Flip Wilson

by Saran Nason

Flip Wilson, the first African American to host one the highest rated shows in the country, brought laughter into many American homes in the early 1970s. Wilson was most famous for his character "Geraldine" and coined phrases such as "The devil made me do it" and "What you see is what you get". However, Flip Wilson was a very private person and because of this, it was unknown to many just how good of a human being he truly was. Born Clerow Wilson on November 8th, 1933 in New Jersey, he was the eighth of 24 children. Surviving a very impoverished childhood, Wilson later dropped out of school at age 16 and lied about his age in order to join the Air Force.

It was during his time in the Air Force that he discovered his comic abilities and earned his nickname. There, he was admired for his ability to tell outrageous stories and play crazy "flipped out" characters. His comic abilities became so popular that he was sent on a tour to perform his act at different bases to "boost morale".

When he was discharged in 1954, he started performing at different night clubs. From there, he became more and more well known and performed at the famous Apollo Theatre. However, it wasn't until he took the notice of Redd Foxx, who mentioned Wilson to Johnny Carson, that he was catapulted into the spotlight. After appearing on the Tonight Show, he became instantly popular and started appearing in guest roles on different TV shows. His growing popularity finally paid off in 1970 when NBC granted him his own variety show.

The Flip Wilson Show was an instant hit, his humor crossing color lines. Part of what made the show successful wasn't just Wilson's talent and likeability, but also the fact that he wrote 1/3 of the show and had creative control over the content. He insisted on a tight work schedule and was often found on the set even before the crew arrived in the morning. In addition to playing funny, loveable characters on the show, Wilson also had several famous guest stars on his show, such as John Wayne, Ed Sullivan and Lucille Ball. Wilson also had a number of African American artists perform on his show, such as the Temptations, Aretha Franklin and James Brown, amongst many others, that exposed African American music to the mainstream. His show had high ratings during its entire run, in which he also won two Emmy Awards for in 1971. His show ended in 1974, and although many think that competition from "The Walton's" was the cause of this, in actuality it was a decision made by Wilson himself. Remembering his own tough childhood, he retired to spend more time with his family.

Wilson appeared in a few movies and starred in other TV shows after that, but nothing he did matched the success of his show. After several failed projects, he permanently disappeared from the public eye. Instead, he spent time with his family, riding his motorcycle and seeking spirituality. He died from liver cancer at age 64 in 1998, and his loss was deeply mourned by his family, friends and fans. At his funeral, his friend, Reverend Patricia Mischell, gave his eulogy. In it, she reflects on the life he led, the laughter he brought many, and particularly emphasized how actively he helped to change the lives of so many people. "Flip devoted himself to helping people of all ages...I cannot count on my hands how many young people Flip has put through college."

While it is obvious to many how Flip Wilson's comedy act influenced the media, those who were close to him knew him for so much more than that. He was able to charm the country because even behind the mask of whatever character he was playing; his kindness and generosity couldn't help but shine through. Flip Wilson is gone, but his impact on society is still rippling from his actions.