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As Prime Minister Harold Wilson enacted social reforms in education, health, housing, gender equality, price controls, pensions, provisions for disabled people and child poverty.
James Harold Wilson, son of James Wilson and Ethel Seddon, was born on March 11, 1916[1] in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.[2]
In 1934 Wilson attended Jesus College, Oxford , studying Modern History for a year before transferring to Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He graduated with a first class BA. At the age of 21 he became one of the youngest Oxford University dons of the century. From 1937 he was a lecturer in Economic History at New College and a Research Fellow at University College.[3]
Wilson married Gladys Mary Baldwin, daughter of Rev Daniel Baldwin on January 1, 1940 in the chapel at Mansfield College, Oxford.[4][5]
Wilson served as Shadow Chancellor from 1955 to 1961, then as Shadow Foreign Secretary from 1961 to 1963 under the leadership of Hugh Gaitskell. When Gaitskell died suddenly in 1963, Wilson fought and won a leadership contest against George Brown and James Callaghan.[6]
Wilson's first term as Prime Minister was from 1964 to 1970. In which time two major acts were passed:
Wilson and his government also created the hugely successful Open University. By 1981, 45,000 students had received degrees through the Open University.[9]
Wilson's second term as Prime Minister was from 1976 to 1978. In this time he concentrated heavily on domestic policy, achieving social reforms in education, health, housing, gender equality, price controls, pensions, provisions for disabled people and child poverty. On March 16 1976, Wilson stunned the nation when he announced his intention to resign, a decision that he claimed he had made 2 years previously.[10]
James Harold Wilson died May 24, 1995 in London, England. He is buried at St Mary's Old Church Churchyard on the Isles of Scilly.[11][12]
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