Richard Wilson was Oscar's keeper.
As the elegantly attired Hollywood elite strutted their stuff on stage during the televised Academy Awards ceremony, Wilson was behind the scenes, managing the distribution of the highly prized, gold Oscars. It was also his job to know the whereabouts of previously awarded statuettes.
The Chicago native graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a master's degree in radio, television and film from Northwestern University. In 1988, he landed a job at the Beverly Hills office of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Over the next 16 years, he opened the organization's first New York office and served as executive assistant to four Academy presidents.
Wilson died on April 23 of an apparent heart attack. He was 46.
Posted on May 5, 2004 9:22 AM