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William McKinley impersonator reflects on history
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Mike Wilson, a President William McKinley impersonator, shared a short history of McKinley's life and recited some of the president's memorable speeches during a discussion at the Austintown Friends of the Library meeting on Feb. 20. Wilson brought to life the president's oratory skills while reciting McKinley's speech at the Pan-American Exposition.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Presidential impersonator Mike Wilson, who has performed as President William McKinley for over 20 years, told a group of guests at the Austintown Friends of the Library meeting on Feb. 20 how he started in his unlikely profession.
By SARAH FOOR
Mike Wilson has spent more than 20 years walking in the shoes of president William McKinley and even has official approval from the Historical Actors Guild as the go-to McKinley actor.
In his time impersonating the president, Wilson has learned that history often repeats itself. He says bringing history to life has become his life’s work.
Wilson shared an informative presentation on Northeast Ohio’s native son during a president’s day meeting of the Austintown Friends of the Library on Feb. 20.
Before teaching the group about McKinley, Wilson shared a bit of his own background.
Wilson lived in Marion, Ohio, but visited Niles in 1991 and was awed by the impressive McKinley Memorial Library. While standing in the courtyard, a young library-goer pointed out that Wilson looked much like the McKinley statue displayed there.
“It all started that day. With the help of the library, I started to do research. It was very exciting to learn McKinley’s history and discover the legacy he left as president of our country,” Wilson said.
Wilson taught the Friends of the Library about McKinley’s history, beginning with his birth in Niles, his schooling in Poland, his marriage and work in Canton and his ascent to the presidency.
The actor shared two of McKinley’s speeches and told guests to consider the relevancy of the issues he discussed.
A speech from the president’s first inaugural address considered the importance of taxes, literacy and diplomacy among nations. The president’s speech from the Pan-American Exposition, before he was assassinated at the same event, considered life 100 years in the future. McKinley imagined a world where transportation and communication would be immediate, an idea that largely came to fruition.
“As President McKinley, I’ve learned that history comes to life and especially here in the Mahoning Valley. I hope we’ll always continue to learn from history, so that we can all make informed decisions about our future,” he said.