Wilson’s Legacy Seen Throughout The Desert

Roy Wilson will be remembered in the halls of power, and in the memories of those who walk in the shadow of his life’s work.

Wilson secured the 200 acres off Cook Street to bring in the Cal State University campus in Palm Desert.

When asked how important the campus was to her life, student Amanda Stone replies, “It is very convenient that you don’t have to drive all the way out to San Bernardino.”

When asked whether the campus inspired by Wilson made a large difference in her life, Stone answers, “Absolutely. I’m a mom withtwo kids and I’m going back to school.”

Roy Wilson was fought to keep the Coachella Valley’s natural beauty. He was one of the first local leaders to bring attention to fixing the Salton Sea.

Our enjoyment of desert wildlife owes much to Wilson’s leadership in a Valley-wide environmental plan.

When asked how much she would miss Roy Wilson’s impact on the environment, Ginny Short at the Coachella Valley Preserve says, “He was a tireless friend of the Coachella Valley Preserve. He just recently helped us put in a major trail. The first trail in 30 years. Roy Wilson will be greatly missed out here.”

Wilson pushed for funding to build the Coachella Valley’s large homeless shelter near Palm Springs, something not forgotten by those out on the streets.

Richard “sonny” Windsor, a homeless Palm Springs man recalls, “They say he had another place across the freeway, They say there’s homeless people living out there. Good place to go. To me, I never met him. Be he sounds pretty good to me. He was all right.”

Roy Wilson started out as a friend of small business. Palm Desert’s Highway 111 storefronts are a sign of his legacy.

Business owner Mike Harden explains, “He was the beginning of the facade enhancement program for businesses. He worked really hard to bring small business into the Palm Desert area. Back in the early 70’s, there weren’t a lot of businesses here.”

Four people, none of them were political leaders. But all of them were affected personally by a man who worked for them.