Douglas C. Wilson, a longtime journalist and Amherst College official, died Monday of cancer at his Amherst home. He was 67.
A Providence native who grew up in Bloomington, Ind., Mr. Wilson graduated from Amherst College in 1962 and earned a master's degree from Tufts University. He began his journalism career at the Providence Journal, serving on the city staff before moving to the Washington and becoming bereau chief.
In 1974, he broke the story of President Nixon's decision to resign after receiving a tip from Baruch Korff, a rabbi from Rehoboth and Nixon confidant, according to the Journal.
Mr. Wilson's wife, Cheryl (Bailey), said he initially wanted to be a history teacher until he worked as an editor on the student paper. "He got lured away into journalism. He just considered it current history," she said.
After the Journal, Mr. Wilson became secretary for public affairs at Amherst in 1977. He was also college editor for the alumni magazine for 25 years, and was the school's spokesman for much of that time.
Harrison Gregg, the associate registrar at Amherst, said Mr. Wilson was devoted to telling the history of the college. He edited a compilation of essays on the school titled "Passages of Time: Narratives in the History of Amherst College."
Mr. Wilson retired in 2002 and was awarded the college's Medal for Eminent Service the following year. In addition to his wife, Mr. Wilson leaves two sons, Jay of Bronxville, N.Y., and Samuel of Brooklyn, N.Y; a daughter, Emily of Brooklyn; two brothers, William of Georgetown, Colo., and Swami Anantananda of South Fallsburg, N.Y.; and one granddaughter.
A funeral will be held today at 1 p.m. in Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst.
