Neal Wilson, Eastern High School graduate (class of 1956) returned to Greentown and spoke at a reception sponsored by the Greentown Historical Society on Oct. 14 at the Eastern High School. Neal currently lives in Mesquite, Texas, with his wife of 52 years, Nancy.
Neal desired to be a police officer from an early age. Upon graduation, he was advised to go into the military and get Military Police training to make himself more employable in police work. He did just that and was stationed in Korea for 15 months and Fort Sam Houston for 14 months. He was then employed in the Mesquite Police Department from 1959 to 1970, working his way up to Assistant Chief. He then turned his attention to administration and teaching, serving as Director or Dean of various academies and training centers, as well as working in the Governor’s Office. He developed the Eastfield Criminal Justice Training Center which has graduated over 2700 police officers. He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in education and police administration and has lectured at several colleges and universities. He has also authored criminal justice text books.
Neal reminisced to the reception audience about people and places which were important to him as a young person growing up near Greentown. He congratulated the Greentown Historical Society on their achievements. He stressed the importance of preserving tangible history as a way of gaining an understanding of how people lived in former years. He hopes to make future visits to Greentown.
The reception was part of a Capital Fund Drive to raise money to pay off the mortgage on the building at 101 E. Main Street which serves as meeting, exhibit, storage and office space. Tabulations are being made of receipts and donations are still being accepted. In addition to paying off the mortgage, the Society has identified some projects and programs which will increase their community outreach and support for preserving local history.
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