Alma Bell and her twin sister Wilma were born on May 25, 1917, in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma to Anna and William R.

[1] From age eight, Bell had decided to become a lawyer and after graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1935 from Pauls Valley High School,[2] she attended Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, completing her BA degree.

After taking a few years to raise Lee Ann and earn her pilot's license, Wilson returned to the court in 1960 with an eye to pursuing a judgeship.

[6] Wilson also served on the Court of Tax Review for six years and was an appointee by the governor to the Commission on the Status of Women.

In 1998, she co-founded the Seeworth Preparatory Academy in Oklahoma City to help 6th- through 9th-graders, overcome issues like poverty or dysfunctional family situations which impact children's ability to learn.

In 1974, she received the Guy Brown Award to recognize outstanding alumni from the University of Oklahoma and the following year inducted into the OU Hall of Fame.