William Bauchop Wilson (April 2, 1862 – May 25, 1934) was an American labor leader and progressive politician,[1][2] who immigrated as a child with his family from Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Wilson is best remembered for his service as the first Secretary of Labor (1913–21) in the United States, serving through the years of American participation in the Great War.

He ultimately decided to emigrate to the United States to find employment there, and left his wife and three children, sailing by ship across the Atlantic in April 1870.

[3] Adam Wilson found work in the bituminous coal region of Pennsylvania, settling in the little town of Arnot, located in Tioga County.

In 1874, young William engaged in labor organizing for the first time when he attempted to launch a union for the boys who worked as trappers, manually operating the ventilation of the mines.

[4] The event proved to be a valuable learning experience for Wilson, who later recalled in his unpublished memoirs: His argument had been forceful and effective, but it was applied to the wrong part of my anatomy to be permanently convincing....

One of the first efforts he focused on was getting underway the newly created United States Conciliation Service, whose purpose was to provide mediation for labor disputes.

He also continued his earlier work in studying how blacks were excluded from certain trade unions, interracial conditions in the workplace, and issues in child labor.

[8] The Department of Labor had earlier in Wilson's term expressed favor towards an invitation to attend an International Conference on Social Insurance.