Woodrow Wilson

28th President Woodrow Wilson, 1913-192128th President Woodrow Wilson, 1913-192128th President Woodrow Wilson, 1913-192128th President Woodrow Wilson, 1913-192128th President Woodrow Wilson, 1913-192128th President Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921

28th President Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921

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:

YearCandidatePopular VotesElectoral Votes
1912Woodrow Wilson6,296,547435
(map)Theodore Roosevelt4,118,57188
William H. Taft3,486,7208

YearCandidatePopular VotesElectoral Votes
1916Woodrow Wilson9,127,695277
(map)Charles Evans Hughes8,533,507254

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
  • 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:
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:
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.”

Previous President: William H. Taft
Next President: Warren G. Harding