Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.
| Date of birth | October 17, 1918 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Columbus, Ohio, United States |
| Date of death | March 25, 2014 (aged 95) |
| Place of death | Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Owner |
| College |
Virginia University of Michigan |
| Career history | |
| As owner | |
| Before 1959 | Detroit Lions (minority owner) |
| 1959–2014 | Buffalo Bills |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 U.S. Navy
|
| Years of service | 1941–46 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Ralph Cookerly Wilson Jr. (October 17, 1918 – March 25, 2014) was the founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, a team in America's National Football League (NFL). He was one of the founding owners of the American Football League (AFL), the league with which the NFL merged in 1970, and was the last of the original AFL owners to own his team. At the time of his death he was the oldest owner in the NFL, at age 95, and the third-longest tenured owner in NFL history (over 54 years, behind the 63 years George Halas owned the Chicago Bears and almost equal to the 55 years Art Rooney owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, although Rooney's ownership and team operations were interrupted in the 1940s due to some complicated dealings). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Wilson grew up in Detroit, Michigan, the son of salesman Ralph Wilson Sr. and his wife, Edith Cole.
He graduated from the University of Virginia (where he joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity) and attended the University of Michigan Law School. He was a 1936 graduate of Detroit University School, now University Liggett School. During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. After the war ended, he took over his father's insurance business and invested in Michigan area mines and factories. He eventually purchased several manufacturing outlets, construction firms, television and radio stations, and founded Ralph Wilson Industries.
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