{{Short description|33rd First Lady of California}} {{For|the American soccer player|Gayle Smith Wilson}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Gayle Wilson | image = Gayle.A.Wilson.Official.jpg | image_size = | birth_name = Gayle Ann Edlund | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|11|24}} | birth_place = Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | profession = | order = | office1 = First Lady of California | governor1 = Pete Wilson | term_label1 = In role | term_start1 = January 7, 1991 | term_end1 = January 4, 1999 | predecessor1 = Gloria Saatjian | successor1 = Sharon Davis | party = Republican | alma_mater = | spouse = {{marriage|Pete Wilson|1983}} | children = 2 | relations = | signature = | education = Stanford University (BS) | caption = Official portrait, 1991 }}

'''Gayle Edlund Wilson''' (born November 24, 1942) is an American business professional, community activist, and the former first lady of California (1991&ndash;1999). She is married to former California governor and senator Pete Wilson, with whom she has two sons. As an activist, Wilson has concentrated her efforts on improving early childhood health and encouraging children in the areas of math and science.<ref name="wic_bio">{{Cite web|title=WIC Biography - Gayle Wilson|url=http://www.wic.org/bio/gwilson.htm|access-date=2020-07-14|website=www.wic.org}}</ref>

== Early life and education == Wilson was born in Phoenix, Arizona. As a teenager in February 1956, she acted in a professional production of ''A Room Full of Roses'' opposite Linda Darnell at the Sombrero Playhouse.<ref name="arac022156">{{cite news |last=Cutts |first=Anson B. |title=Linda Darnell Makes Debut |work=The Arizona Republic |date=February 21, 1956 |location=Phoenix, Arizona |page=4 |via = Newspapers.com}}</ref> Wilson competed in the 1960 National Science Talent Search.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gayle Wilson |url=https://www.societyforscience.org/alumni/notable/gayle-wilson/}}</ref> Wilson attended Stanford University, where she earned a degree in biology and a Phi Beta Kappa key.

== Career ==

=== First lady of California === As California's first lady, Wilson worked to further her husband's goals of promoting early childhood education. She also helped establish a merit-based California state summer school for math and science, now known as COSMOS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cosmos-ucop.ucdavis.edu/app/main|title=Welcome to COSMOS| access-date=2023-10-12}}</ref> Each summer this four-week residential program located on four University of California campuses serves over 600 high school aged students.<ref name="wic_bio" />

=== Later career === Wilson is a member of the board of directors of Gilead Sciences and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of California Institute of Technology and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, and she is the chairperson of the Advisory Board and primary fundraiser for COSMOS. She is a former member of the board of ARCO as well as of the Center for Excellence in Education.{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}

Wilson is a past president of the Junior League of San Diego as well as a founding member of the San Diego chapter of ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists).

Since 2011, Wilson has been on the selection committee for the GE Reagan Scholarships.

== Personal life == Wilson has two sons and one grandchild.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.forbes.com/finance/mktguideapps/personinfo/FromPersonIdPersonTearsheet.jhtml?passedPersonId=905892 Forbes Profile of Gayle Wilson]{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *[http://www.gilead.ca/wt/tert/gayle_edlund_wilson Gilead Sciences Profile of Gayle Wilson]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{S-start}} {{s-hon}} {{succession box|title=First Lady of California|before=Gloria Saatjian|after=Sharon Davis |years=January 7, 1991 – January 4, 1999}} {{S-end}}

{{Spouses of California Governors}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Gayle}} Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:People from Phoenix, Arizona Category:First ladies and gentlemen of California Category:Stanford University alumni Category:American health activists Category:Activists from California Category:California Republicans