His parents moved to Newcomerstown, Ohio, where he attended the local schools.

[1][2] At Washington & Jefferson he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi.

[3] He studied law at the University of Virginia, and had a thirty five year practice at New Philadelphia, Ohio.

[1] An election was held autumn 1912 to fill the unexpired term of James Latimer Price to the Ohio Supreme Court, and Wilkin assumed his seat upon election December 20, 1912.

His son, Robert Nugen Wilkin, would later be chosen for the Supreme Court.