U. S. President and Recipient
of Nobel Peace Prize.
Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United
States, was born December 18, 1856, in Staunton,
Virginia. His paternal grandfather was an Ulster
Scot who came to the U.S. in 1807. His maternal
grandfather, Thomas Woodrow, was a Presbyterian
minister who was graduated from the University
of Glasgow. ■
Woodrow Wilson was educated at Princeton
University. He took graduate work in history and
government at Johns Hopkins University where he
received his Ph.D degree. He returned to
Princeton to teach. Later he served as president
of Princeton. ■
He left the university to run for governor of
New Jersey as a reform candidate. He gained
national prominence as governor. In 1912 he was
nominated and elected U.S. President. In 1913 he
signed into law the Federal Income Tax Act as
well as the Federal Reserve Act. He also was
instrumental in setting up the Federal Trade
His efforts at domestic reform were overshadowed
by foreign unrest, mainly anarchy in Mexico and
World War I. When the U.S. entered the war, he
emphasized that it was a crusade for freedom.
This hardened the nationís attitude and
strengthened the resolve to win.
insisted that the League of Nations was an
essential part of the peace settlement. But the
demands of the victors at the expense of the
defeated and political opposition at home were
more than he could cope with. His health failed
and he retired to private life.
■ In spite
of his failure to get the U.S. to accept the
importance of the League of Nations, his place
in history as a force for good was assured.
Wilson was awarded the Novel Peace Prize in
1920. He died in his sleep in Washington on
February 3, 1924.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
Scottish-American History Club
2800 Des Plaines Avenue
North Riverside, IL 60546