Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson is a retired elementary teacher from Astoria, Oregon where he taught 4th
and 5th grade for 30 years, as well as coached high school volleyball. He began
working with Ft. Clatsop as a member of their curriculum advisory board over 20 years
ago. He then began to help write and edit the Park’s traveling trunk programs which
schools use throughout the United States. He has volunteered at the Park as a
ranger for several years doing talks and demonstrations, and now works as a
seasonal Park Ranger. Tom also has worked with the Maritime Museum in Astoria
with river transportation and exploration curriculum. He has conducted living history
training and workshops for Ft. Clatsop, Cape Disappointment and Ft. Vancouver
National Parks.
Currently, Tom is Past-President of the Pacific Northwest Living Historians which is a
group dedicated to presenting authentic history of the Pacific Northwest. He has been
doing living history programs and talks in first and 3rd person for over 10 years,
centering mostly on the Lewis and Clark expedition. He has done talks aboard the
Columbia Queen and Columbia Gorge sternwheelers when they dock in Astoria, as
well as other tour boats and tours.
He has been involved in several documentaries and films. Tom has portrayed William
Clark in “Searching for York” and “Clatsop Winter Story”, as well as other PBS and
OPB segments such as “Oregon Field Guide”.
Tom lives in Astoria with his wife Debbie, who is the executive director of the Lewis
and Clark National Park Association.