Woodrow Wilson
28th President of the United States
(March 4, 1913 to March 3, 1921)
Full Name: Thomas Woodrow Wilson
Nickname: "Schoolmaster in Politics"
Born: December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia
Died: February 3, 1924, in Washington, D.C.
Father: Joseph Ruggles Wilson (1822-1903)
Mother: Jessie Janet Woodrow Wilson (1826-1888)
Married: Ellen Louise Axson (1860-1914), on June 24, 1885; Edith Bolling Galt (1872-1961), on December 18 , 1915
Children: Margaret Woodrow Wilson (1886-1944); Jessie Woodrow Wilson (1887-1933); Eleanor Randolph Wilson (1889-1967)
Religion: Presbyterian
Education: Graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) (1879)
Occupation: Teacher, public official
Political Party: Democrat
Other Government Positions:
- Governor of New Jersey, 1911-13
Presidential Salary: $75,000/year
Presidential Election Results:
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1912 Woodrow Wilson 6,296,547 435
(map) Theodore Roosevelt 4,118,571 88
William H. Taft 3,486,720 8
Year Candidate Popular Votes Electoral Votes
1916 Woodrow Wilson 9,127,695 277
(map) Charles Evans Hughes 8,533,507 254
Vice President: Thomas R. Marshall (1913-21)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- William J. Bryan (1913-15)
Robert Lansing (1915-20)
Bainbridge Colby (1920-21) - Secretary of the Treasury
- William G. McAdoo (1913-18)
Carter Glass (1918-20)
David F. Houston (1920-21) - Secretary of War
- Lindley M. Garrison (1913-16)
Newton D. Baker (1916-21) - Attorney General
- James C. McReynolds (1913-14)
Thomas W. Gregory (1914-19)
A. Mitchell Palmer (1919-21) - Postmaster General
- Albert S. Burleson (1913-21)
- Secretary of the Navy
- Josephus Daniels (1913-21)
- Secretary of the Interior
- Franklin K. Lane (1913-20)
John B. Payne (1920-21) - Secretary of Agriculture
- David F. Houston (1913-20)
Edwin T. Meredith (1920-21) - Secretary of Commerce
- William C. Redfield (1913-19)
Joshua W. Alexander (1919-21) - Secretary of Labor
- William B. Wilson (1913-21)
Supreme Court Justices:
James Clark McReynolds (1914-1941)
Louis Brandeis (1916-1939)
John Hessin Clarke (1916-1922)
Notable Events:
- 1913
- on December 23, Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act creating a central banking system in the U.S.
- 1914
- In April, a minor incident in Tampico, Mexico led to a U.S. invasion of a Mexican post city and the resignation of the Mexican president.
- On June 28, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated contributing to the start of World War I.
- On August 15, the Panama Canal officially opened.
- 1915
- On May 7, a German U-Boat sank the Lusitania. The civilian deaths, including 128 American, shifted the U.S. sentiments about the war against Germany.
- 1917
- On February 24, British officials presented the intercepted and decoded Zimmermann Telegram to the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. The communique was from German to Mexico asking for an alliance if the U.S. entered the war. It was released to the public on March 1.
- On April 6, the U.S. declared war against Germany.
- 1918
- On January 8, Wilson delivered his "14 Points" speech to Congress.
- Starting in January an influenza pandemic swept across the globe killing 3-5% of the world's population over the next three years.
- On November 11, an armistice signed between the Allies and Germany ending World War I.
- 1919
- On July 10, Wilson submitted the Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations to the Senate for ratification.
- On October 2, Wilson suffered a stroke while traveling to bolster public support for the League of Nations.
- 1920
- Wilson won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Internet Biographies:
- Woodrow Wilson -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
- Compiled by the White House.
- Woodrow Wilson -- from The American President
- From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
- Woodrow Wilson -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Facts about Wilson and his presidency.
Videos:
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Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States | BiographyPres. Wilson’s Sheep Mow the White House Lawn - a Presidential Story Ep. 25America's Presidents - Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson | 60-Second Presidents | PBSWoodrow Wilson: The great romantic1 / 3
Historical Documents:
- First Inaugural Address (1913)
- Second Inaugural Address (1917)
- Declaration of Neutrality (1914)
- First Warning to the Germans (1915)
- First Lusitania Note to Germany (1915)
- Protest to Germany (1915)
- On the Sussex Case (1916)
- War Message to Congress (1917)
- Fourteen Points Speech (1918)
- League of Nations (1919)
- Woodrow Wilson Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress
Other Internet Resources:
- The Best Biographies of Woodrow Wilson
- In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
- The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson
- Tourist information and history of the Augusta, GA house where Wilson lived from 1860-1870.
- Health and Medical History of Woodrow Wilson
- Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
- Woodrow Wilson Family Home
- The Columbia, South Carolina home where Wilson grew up from 1870-74.
- Woodrow Wilson House
- Tourist information and history of the Washington, D.C. house where Wilson lived from 1920 until his death.
- Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum
- This Staunton, Virginia site contains tourist information and a virtual tour of the home where Wilson was born. Wilson's 1919 Pierce-Arrow Limousine is the jewel of the museum's collection.
- Woodrow Wilson Presidential Memorial Exhibit and Learning Center
- Explore Wilson's life and the global issues during his presidency.
Points of Interest:
Washington National Cathedral
3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
2340 S St NW, Washington, DC 20008
1705 Hampton St, Columbia, SC 29201
419 7th St, Augusta, GA 30901
20 N Coalter St, Staunton, VA 24401
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
Washington National Cathedral
3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
2340 S St NW, Washington, DC 20008
1705 Hampton St, Columbia, SC 29201
419 7th St, Augusta, GA 30901
20 N Coalter St, Staunton, VA 24401
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
Additional Facts:
- Wilson was the first president to visit Europe while in office.
- Wilson had a series of strokes in 1919 which left him partially paralyzed and almost blind. His wife, Edith, managed his affairs.
- Wilson is the only president buried in Washington, D.C.
- Wilson was the first president to have a Ph.D.
- Wilson didn't learn to read until he was eleven years old.
- Wilson was the first president to meet the Pope while in office.
- Wilson was the first president to speak before Congress since Thomas Jefferson.
Quotes:“The object of love is to serve, not to win.”
“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.”
“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”
“The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.”
“If you think too much about being re-elected, it is very difficult to be worth re-electing.”
“The object of love is to serve, not to win.”
“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.”
“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”
“The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.”
“If you think too much about being re-elected, it is very difficult to be worth re-electing.”