Woodrow Wilson, born in 1856, was the 28th US president. He became the president of the United States in 1913 and led the country through World War I. Before he became the president of the United States, Wilson was the Democratic governor of New Jersey. He was also a college professor and president of a University. He based his legacy on progressive reforms and established the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Reserve.

Additionally, Wilson advocated for peace and democracy. As a result, he tried to refrain from taking sides in World War I. However, in 1917, he summoned Congress to declare war against Germany. After this war, President Wilson led the negotiation of a peace treaty that involved the formation of the League of Nations, which earned him a Nobel Peace Prize.

The Early Years of Woodrow Wilson

Wilson was believed to suffer from dyslexia and couldn’t write until he was ten. All in all, in 1879, he graduated from Princeton University and later joined the University of Virginia, where he studied law. He practiced law shortly in Atlanta, Georgia, before graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 1886 with a Ph.D. in political science. Currently, Wilson is the only American president who has ever had a doctorate.

After earning his Ph.D., Wilson taught at Wesleyan and Bryn Mawr colleges. In 1890, he then became a professor of jurisprudence and politics at Princeton, where he embarked on policies in educational reform. However, he barred black students from enrolling at the University.

Family

Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia, on December 28, 1856. His parents were Joseph Ruggles Wilson (1822-1903) and Janet Woodrow Wilson (1826-1888). Young Wilson grew up in South Carolina, Columbia, Georgia and Augusta. His father was a Presbyterian minister and Confederate army chaplain, where he helped injured victims in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Wilson married his first wife, Ellen, in 1885, who later died in 1914 from kidney disease. Together they had three daughters. After the death of Ellen, he married again in 1915.

Death

Wilson left office in March 1921 and lived in Washington DC, where he established a law firm. On February 3, 1924, he died three years later at the age of 62 and was buried in Washington National Cathedral.