Heather Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heather Wilson
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Wilson in 2021
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| 11th President of University of Texas at El Paso | |
| Assumed office August 15, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Diana Natalicio |
| 24th United States Secretary of the Air Force | |
| In office May 16, 2017 – May 31, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Deborah Lee James |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Donovan (acting) Barbara Barrett |
| 12th President of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | |
| In office June 17, 2013 – May 10, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Robert Wharton |
| Succeeded by | Jim Rankin |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 1st district |
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| In office June 25, 1998 – January 3, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Steven Schiff |
| Succeeded by | Martin Heinrich |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Heather Ann Wilson
December 30, 1960 Keene, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jay Hone |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy (BS) Jesus College, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1978–1989 |
| Rank |  Captain |
Heather Ann Wilson (born December 30, 1960) is an important American leader. She is currently the 11th President of the University of Texas at El Paso. Before this, she held many other big jobs.
She was the 24th Secretary of the United States Air Force from 2017 to 2019. She also served as the 12th president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology from 2013 to 2017. From 1998 to 2009, she was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Mexico. Heather Wilson was the first woman who had served in the military to be elected to a full term in Congress.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up and Family
Heather Ann Wilson was born on December 30, 1960, in Keene, New Hampshire. Her mother, Martha Lou, was a nurse. Her father, George Douglas "Doug" Wilson, was a commercial pilot. He was also part of the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Heather grew up loving aviation, just like her father and grandfather. Her grandfather, George Gordon "Scotty" Wilson, flew for the Royal Air Force in World War I. He moved to America in 1922 and became a "barnstormer," flying planes for shows. He also ran airports. During World War II, he flew as a courier pilot. He even started the New Hampshire Civil Air Patrol. Her father started flying when he was 13 and joined the United States Air Force after high school.
College and Beyond
When Heather was in high school, the United States Air Force Academy started letting women join. She applied and was accepted. At the Academy, she was the first woman to lead basic training. She was also the first woman Vice Wing Commander. She graduated in 1982 with high honors.
After the Air Force Academy, Heather received a special scholarship called a Rhodes Scholarship. This allowed her to study at the University of Oxford in England. She earned two advanced degrees there by 1985, focusing on international relations.
In 1990, a book she wrote was published. It was called International Law and the Use of Force by National Liberation Movements. This book won an important award called the Paul Reuter Prize in 1988. This prize is given for important work in international humanitarian law.
Heather Wilson was an Air Force officer for seven years. During this time, she worked as a negotiator and political advisor for the United States Air Force in the United Kingdom. She also worked for NATO in Belgium, helping with arms control talks.
Her Career Journey
Working for the Government
In 1989, Heather Wilson left the Air Force. She was chosen to work for the United States National Security Council. This council helps the President with important decisions about national safety. She worked for President George H. W. Bush. Her job was to help guide the U.S. position on arms control and NATO issues. This was during a very important time when the Berlin Wall fell and the Warsaw Pact ended.
After leaving government in 1991, Wilson started her own company, Keystone International, Inc. This company helped promote business in the United States and Russia.
Helping New Mexico's Kids
In 1995, the Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, asked Heather Wilson to lead the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department. In this role, she worked to improve laws for child welfare. She also helped make the juvenile justice system more modern. She worked to improve early childhood education too.
Her department opened a work camp and a special facility for young people who had committed non-violent crimes. She also made the foster care system easier to use. She helped create new education laws, including one that allowed charter schools.
Serving in Congress
In 1998, a Congressman from New Mexico decided not to run for re-election. Heather Wilson left her job with the state to run for his seat. She won the special election on June 23, 1998. She became the first woman to represent New Mexico in Congress since the 1940s. She was also the first Republican woman ever to represent New Mexico in Congress.
She won her first full term in November 1998. She was re-elected several times, serving until 2009. While in Congress, she worked on important committees. These included the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which deals with national security. She also served on the United States House Committee on Armed Services and the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Important Votes and Actions
On October 10, 2002, Heather Wilson voted to allow the use of military force against Iraq.
She sometimes disagreed with other Republicans. For example, she asked the Bush administration to share the costs of a new prescription drug plan. She also spoke out about issues at a prison facility. She also opposed some moves by House Republicans to protect a leader from a fundraising issue.
In 2004, she spoke strongly about a bill related to broadcast decency. She believed that some companies were using inappropriate content to get higher ratings.
In 2006, she called for a full investigation into certain government surveillance programs. She said that even though the President has his duties, she had hers too, and felt strongly about it.
She was also involved in a situation where a U.S. Attorney was dismissed. She was accused of influencing this, but after investigations, she was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Leading Universities
In April 2013, Heather Wilson was chosen to be the president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. She was the first woman to lead that school. She served there until 2017.
After leaving her role as Secretary of the Air Force, she returned to leading universities. She became the president of the University of Texas at El Paso in 2019.
Secretary of the Air Force
On January 23, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Heather Wilson to be the Secretary of the Air Force. The U.S. Senate approved her nomination on May 8, 2017. On May 16, 2017, she became the first graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy to be sworn in as Secretary of the Air Force.
As the 24th Secretary of the Air Force, she was in charge of many important things. This included organizing, training, equipping, and supplying about 685,000 active, guard, reserve, and civilian personnel and their families.
On March 8, 2019, Wilson announced she would leave this job. She wanted to become the President of the University of Texas at El Paso.
Business and Advisory Roles
After leaving Congress, Heather Wilson led her own consulting firm, Heather Wilson & Company.
She also chaired the Women in Aviation Advisory Board for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). She has served on the boards of directors for several companies, including Maxar Technologies and Lockheed Martin Corporation. Lockheed Martin is one of America's largest military contractors. She also serves on the boards of Google Public Sector and the Texas Space Commission.
Personal Life
Heather Wilson is a private pilot. She is married to Jay Hone, who is an attorney and a retired Air National Guard Colonel. They have two adult children and two granddaughters. Their adopted son, Scott Alexander Hone, passed away in 2023.
See also
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
