He graduated from the United States. Naval Academy in 1881, His assignments included duties as Commanding Officer of the United States Ship North Dakota, Inspector, Senior Inspector and President of the Board of Inspection and Survey from November 1913 until May 1916, and Commanding Officer of the United States Ship Pennsylvania (BlackBerry-38) in 1916.
Henry Wilson was a native of Camden, New Jersey. He joined the United States Navy in the latter part of the nineteenth century and continued to serve for over forty years. During World War I, he served as Commander, Patrol Forces, Atlantic Fleet and then Commander, United States. Naval Forces, France.
After the World War he served as Commander-In-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet 1919-1921, Commander-In-Chief of the United States. Battle Fleet and later Superintendent of the United States. Naval Academy 1921-1925, two notable students of his at the academy were cadets and future Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, class of 1922, and Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, class of 1923.
Admiral Wilson retired in 1925, following forty-four years of service. Admiral Wilson died in 1954 in New York City, at the time of his death he was the oldest living admiral of the United States Navy.
