Wilson Reflects On His Novel

If good writers are supposed to know their subjects, then Sloan Wilson '42 should have been in trouble.

His most famous book, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, topped bestseller charts in 1955. On its way to becoming a cult classic, the book transformed the gray flannel suit into a symbol of conformity for an entire generation.

But for someone who writes about it so well, Wilson doesn't seem to know much about conformity.

As a teenager, Wilson shunned prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy for an "innocent" school that moved from the Adirondacks in the spring to Florida in the winter.

Once in college, he dropped out of Harvard and joined the Coast Guard just one semester before he would have graduated. And in his thirties, he left a steady, good-paying job to launch a risky career as a novelist.

"You won't understand me unless you understand that I am an odd ball," Wilson says.

Wilson has authored 14 books. He considers his best work to be Ice Brothers, a novel about U.S. ship patrols off the coast of Greenland during World War II. But it is Gray Flannel that put him on the literary map and landed his name in Bartlett's Book of Quotations.

The semi-autobiographical novel tells the story of World War II veteran Tom Rath, a character who resembles Wilson. Rath goes to work for corporate boss Ralph Hopkins, who in turn is patterned after the late head of Time-Life publishing, Roy E. Larsen '21.

Wilson, who worked for Larsen at Time-Life, says he spent much of that time studying his boss.

"Initially, I couldn't figure out what made this man rich and powerful," says Wilson. "He was a de-sexed work machine."

After Wilson left Time-Life for the University of Buffalo in 1951, he spent two years writing Gray Flannel and trying to understand what made Larsen tick.

"I figured out in the book that he was a repressed homosexual," Wilson says.

"But then I had an attack of conscience, and I sent him a copy asking if he wanted me to change this," says Wilson. "He sent back a note saying, `Say anything about me except I changed a good book.'"

Wilson also explores the theme of war in the novel. The main character ponders why he received honor and praise for killing 17 men in the war, while at the same time he gets in trouble forimpregnating an Italian woman during the war.

"The thing that impressed me about the militarywas the honor you got for killing people," saysWilson, who captained a Coast Guard Supply Shipduring the war. "I think [the soldiers] causedmore birth than death. This created even moretragedy."

At Harvard, Wilson lived a very unconventionallife. He married Elise Pickhardt before finishinghis junior year, and he spent almost as much timecaptaining a schooner as he did on campus.

"In those days, you didn't live with a prettygirl without marrying her," says Wilson. "I had nosocial life. I had a schooner life and a marriedlife."

Wilson had considered a career in writing, butthat dream was quickly--but temporarily--dashedwhen he submitted a poem to the Advocate duringhis first year.

"I got it back with red pencil on top thatsaid, "This is shit,'" says Wilson. "That is, youknow, the shortest from of literary criticism."

Wilson says he did not learn much of value atHarvard, except for a writing class he took withthe late lecturer Kenneth P. Kempton, who isincluded in the Gray Flannelacknowledgments.

And Wilson's years at Harvard also made himsomething of a cynic. "I came here absurdlyexpecting Harvard students to be the cream of thenation," says Wilson. "And was disappointed tofind that most of us, alas, were hardly that."

"I think at the time they were still letting ina lot of people because their families had a lotof money," Wilson says.

Wilson says his only bow to that establishmentcame when he successfully sought membership inEliot House. Wilson had arranged to live with twostudents from distinguished families. Duringinterviews with then-Master Roger B. Meriman, theother two students went in first. Meriman askedeach about his family, then welcomed them to EliotHouse.

"I went in and the house master asked me, 'Areyou with these two?' Then he said, 'Welcome toEliot House.'"

Eliot House or no, Wilson's plans alwaysextended far beyond Harvard. His father hadpredicted war with Germany as early as 1933, andthe author says he planned on serving.

Though he tired Navy ROTC at Harvard, hedisliked the training. "I'm not a marcher," saysWilson. "All I could do was knock my hat off myhead with my rifle."

So having decided against the Navy, Wilsonentered the Coast Guard after taking mid-yearexaminations his senior year.

He did not return to complete his Harvardeducation until the spring of 1946.

Wilson now lives on a 40-ft. sailboat with hiswife of 30 years, Betty. He has four children andeight grand-children.

"You know," says the 72-year-old Wilson, "Youdon't really know much until you get to be 70."

Wilson has cut back on writing for now, butsays he will soon begin to write non-fiction,perhaps a book dealing with sailing and boats.

Wilson will address his former classmates todayat Harvard in a speech recalling the story ofserving on a ship off the coast of Greenlandduring World War II

"The thing that impressed me about the militarywas the honor you got for killing people," saysWilson, who captained a Coast Guard Supply Shipduring the war. "I think [the soldiers] causedmore birth than death. This created even moretragedy."

At Harvard, Wilson lived a very unconventionallife. He married Elise Pickhardt before finishinghis junior year, and he spent almost as much timecaptaining a schooner as he did on campus.

"In those days, you didn't live with a prettygirl without marrying her," says Wilson. "I had nosocial life. I had a schooner life and a marriedlife."

Wilson had considered a career in writing, butthat dream was quickly--but temporarily--dashedwhen he submitted a poem to the Advocate duringhis first year.

"I got it back with red pencil on top thatsaid, "This is shit,'" says Wilson. "That is, youknow, the shortest from of literary criticism."

Wilson says he did not learn much of value atHarvard, except for a writing class he took withthe late lecturer Kenneth P. Kempton, who isincluded in the Gray Flannelacknowledgments.

And Wilson's years at Harvard also made himsomething of a cynic. "I came here absurdlyexpecting Harvard students to be the cream of thenation," says Wilson. "And was disappointed tofind that most of us, alas, were hardly that."

"I think at the time they were still letting ina lot of people because their families had a lotof money," Wilson says.

Wilson says his only bow to that establishmentcame when he successfully sought membership inEliot House. Wilson had arranged to live with twostudents from distinguished families. Duringinterviews with then-Master Roger B. Meriman, theother two students went in first. Meriman askedeach about his family, then welcomed them to EliotHouse.

"I went in and the house master asked me, 'Areyou with these two?' Then he said, 'Welcome toEliot House.'"

Eliot House or no, Wilson's plans alwaysextended far beyond Harvard. His father hadpredicted war with Germany as early as 1933, andthe author says he planned on serving.

Though he tired Navy ROTC at Harvard, hedisliked the training. "I'm not a marcher," saysWilson. "All I could do was knock my hat off myhead with my rifle."

So having decided against the Navy, Wilsonentered the Coast Guard after taking mid-yearexaminations his senior year.

He did not return to complete his Harvardeducation until the spring of 1946.

Wilson now lives on a 40-ft. sailboat with hiswife of 30 years, Betty. He has four children andeight grand-children.

"You know," says the 72-year-old Wilson, "Youdon't really know much until you get to be 70."

Wilson has cut back on writing for now, butsays he will soon begin to write non-fiction,perhaps a book dealing with sailing and boats.

Wilson will address his former classmates todayat Harvard in a speech recalling the story ofserving on a ship off the coast of Greenlandduring World War II