When she was a high schooler living in South Florida in the 1950s, Lynn Vinocur Wilson’s academic future became uncertain when her father, an orchestra leader, fell seriously ill. The University of Miami gave her a chance with a full scholarship that enabled her to pursue a degree in art.
“That scholarship was my only way into the University of Miami,” Wilson recalled from her bayfront home in Sarasota, Florida. “I took as many classes as possible and enjoyed every experience and every moment…UM changed my life.” During her time at the University, Wilson was a varsity cheerleader and was voted an Orange Bowl princess and Sigma Alpha Epsilon sweetheart.
After her father died, Wilson supported her family and herself by performing as a showgirl in the elaborate Ziegfeld Follies-style productions that were an entertainment staple in the grand resort hotels lining Miami Beach. Dancing was in her genes—her mother had been a Rockette—and Wilson would perform two shows a night, then get home for a few hours’ sleep before classes the next morning.
In her late 20s, Wilson started what became her life’s work. Lynn Wilson Associates International grew into a global architectural and interior design firm with an illustrious client list that included royalty and some of the world’s most famed hotels, including The Biltmore in Coral Gables.
Now retired but far from inactive, Wilson is still passionate about art—and giving back. She has made planned gifts to endow scholarships in Art and Art History, as well as Architecture, at the University of Miami. On January 25, Wilson will share her story—and the secrets to her success—in a virtual edition of Women of the U.
Conducting the conversation will be Tsitsi Wakhisi, associate professor of professional practice in the School of Communication and a two-time recipient of the University’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Wakhisi worked as a reporter and editor for several major daily newspapers, including the Detroit News, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio, the Kansas City Star, and The Miami Herald. Her grant-funded research explores American journalists’ careers in the United Arab Emirates, and African Americans’ experiences living and working in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
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