Virginia's Commission on the Centennial of Woodrow Wilson's Presidency

Thomas Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson (known as "Tommy" until his college years) was born December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia, to the Reverend Joseph Ruggles Wilson and Janet (Jessie) Woodrow Wilson.
Tommy Wilson moved with his family to Augusta, Georgia, when he was one, and lived there until his early teens when his family moved to Columbia, South Carolina.
The Wilson family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1874.
Tommy Wilson had three siblings: two sisters and a brother.

Woodrow Wilson attended Davidson College for one year before entering Princeton University, where he graduated in 1879.
Woodrow Wilson attended the University of Virginia School of Law and practiced law briefly.
Woodrow Wilson earned a doctorate in political science from Johns Hopkins University and began his academic career as a professor at Bryn Mawr College.
Woodrow Wilson also taught at Wesleyan University before returning to Princeton University.
In 1902, Woodrow Wilson became president of Princeton University.

Woodrow Wilson married Ellen Louise Axson in 1885. They had three daughters: Margaret, Jessie, and Eleanor.
Ellen Axson Wilson, a talented artist, served as First Lady and died in 1914 from Bright's disease while Woodrow Wilson was in office as President of the United States.
Woodrow Wilson married Edith Bolling Galt in 1915.

Woodrow Wilson took office as the 28th President of the United States in 1913, becoming the only president to hold a doctorate.
President Wilson worked with Congressional leaders to pass legislation that created a federal income tax, established the Federal Reserve Bank and Federal Trade Commission, and prohibited child labor.
In 1917, the United States entered World War I and President Wilson oversaw the nation's massive mobilization.
In 1918, President Wilson addressed the U.S. Congress, presenting his "Fourteen Points" and introducing his idea of a Covenant of a League of Nations, which was included in the Treaty of Versailles.
President Wilson received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1920.
After the U.S. Congress voted against accepting the Treaty of Versailles, President Wilson embarked on a nationwide tour to gain support for the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations.
During his travels, President Wilson suffered a stroke, rendering him unable to finish his journey. He returned home and finished his term of office.

Woodrow Wilson and Edith Bolling Galt lived in Washington, D.C., until his death in 1924. His remains are interred at the Washington National Cathedral.