WILSON, Woodrow (christened Thomas), 28th President of the United States: 13. Staunton, Va., 28 Dec. 1856. He is the son of Scotch-Irish parents, who had lived in Pennsyl vania, Canada and Ohio. James Wilson, his pa ternal grandfather, emigrated from Ireland in 1807. When young Wilson was about a year old the father, Rev. Joseph Ruggles Wilson, became the pastor of the Presbyterian church in Au gusta, Ga., where the family remained till 1870 when Dr. Wilson removed to Columbia, S. C., where he was a professor in the Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Woodrow experienced some of the terrors of the Civil War when the people of the town of Augusta daily expected a visit from Sherman's army, and again in Colum bia where a large part of the city remained a burnt-over area till the Wilson's moved away to Wilmington, N. C., in 1875. Woodrow's early training was received in private schools in Au gusta and Columbia. and from his father and grandfather. Dr. Thomas Woodrow, of Colum bus. Ohio, the latter being a devotee of the an cient classics and frequently in the Wilson home. From this Presbyterian home, Woodrow went to Davidson College, North Carolina, a staunch Presbyterian college, in the autumn of 1874, where he remained a year. But in the autumn of 1875 he went to Princeton where the father had studied theology and where the great Pres byterian leaders of the country were wont to live and teach.
At Princeton, Wilson took rank as a leader among his fellows, attained a fair standing in his class, but made it plain to all that wide read ing and close study of public affairs were his chief interests. He and his family were already close observers of British politics, Gladstone being a hero in their circle. Wilson showed this interest in a remarkable article published, while he was still an undergraduate, in the Inferno twtsol Review, in which the germ of his first book was uncovered. He was graduated in 1879 and the next year went to the University of Vir ginia to study law. There he took a law de gree in 1881 and early in 1882 settled in At lanta to practise his profession. There he prob ably did not make his mark as a lawyer; but he continued his study of government and poli tics, as illustrated in the workings of Congress. True to his bent, he abandoned the law and en tered Johns Hopkins University in 1883 where be wrote his first book, 'Congressional Govern ment,' published in 1885. The same autumn he began teaching history and political economy in EMI Mawr College and the next year, some what against his wishes, he took his examina tions at Johns Hopkins and was awarded the degree of doctor of philosophy, then so highly prized among college teachers everywhere. In 1888 he went to Wesleyan University. Middle town, Conn., as professor of history and politi cal economy. There he gained a grip upon stu dent life and opinion that marked all his later educational career. But the popularity of 'Congressional Government' and the import ance of its criticism of American governmental practices were making him a national and even international reputation. At Wesleyan he
wrote a review of Bryce's 'American Com monwealth.' which brought him into close friendly relations with that eminent English man. In this review one sees the reflection of a keen historical mind and independent thinker.
In 18'90 Wilson was called to Princeton as professor of jurisprudence and political econ omy, which position he held till 1910 when he ceased his connection with the university to be come gLicernor of New Jersey. As professor at Princeton, he practically founded the de partment of political sot me, as it is now taught in all American urnsersitics Hi. power over students, his acticity as a leader in the rapid de seloptnent of the iulletc into a university, his many articles in periodicals, his lectures in vari ous parts of the country and his hooks raased him to the foremost position in the faculty and when President Patton resigned in 1902, be was chosen to bead the university. He at once set about far-reaching reforms. American college and university students, reflecting the growing riches of their parents, had already become loi terers at their work Wilson endeavored to compel them to study. Instead of increasing the cumber of students at Princeton, he pressed so closely his requirements that scores, even hun dreds, of young men were sent away each year because they failed in their examinauoos Some witty undergraduate is reported to have said that if Dr. Wilson kept on he would make Princeton an educational institution. But the necessity of passing the examinations was not all. Wilson introduced what has been called the preceptorial system at Princeton By this method every student was brought into close re lations with a teacher who made it his business to lead a small group of young men in their work and introduce them to the world of books. The new system cost a great deal of money and Wil son endeavored to collect it. His activity in that direction brought him into closer touch with Princeton men all over the country and he be came very popular. His next reform was of a similar nature. There had grown up at Prince ton an elaborate club system which was more important to most of the undergraduates than the passing of examinations. To become a mem ber of one of the clubs was the first ambition of most students. Moreover the social life of the students was absorbed by these clubs. Wil son proposed in 1907 that as coon as suitable dormitories could he provided, all students should live together and have their rooms as signed to them by lot; that they should eat to gether. the rich and the poor. in dining-piaces on or near the quadrangle; and that the un married tutors should live with the students in the dormitories. This reform was aimed at making student life democratic and helpful to all alike. This, too, would cost large sums of money and require several years to become el fective. It was, however, too much for the students. Some professors also found the new pace a little too swift and the alumni enosttr aged resistance.