Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Johns Hopkins University 1886
Engendered by years of scholarly pursuits – teaching, lecturing, and writing – Woodrow Wilson’s idealism, sense of fairness and concern for humanity nurtured his approach to education and politics. In the process, he gave Americans a new vision for a rapidly changing world.
After earning degrees at Princeton University and the University of Virginia, and then opening a law practice in Atlanta, Wilson enrolled at Johns Hopkins University to pursue a doctorate in political science. While earning his degree, Wilson published his first book, the acclaimed Congressional Government.
He began his teaching career at Bryn Mawr, and in 1888 he took a position at Wesleyan University, lecturing on political science and history. His longtime hope of returning to Princeton University was realized in 1890 when he accepted a professorship in jurisprudence and political economy. During his time at Princeton, he also would return annually to Johns Hopkins to teach courses in administration.
In 1902, Wilson became president of Princeton. As head of the university in New Jersey, he demonstrated a concern for equality among students and advocated a more progressive approach to the curriculum.
His reputation as a brilliant lecturer inexorably cast him into the political arena. He was elected governor of New Jersey in 1910 and, just two years later, won election as president of the United States. In the White House, Wilson improved the banking system by creating the Federal Reserve System, and he promoted fairness in business through the introduction of anti-trust laws. The country was pulled into the Great War during his second term as president, and in 1918 Wilson announced his Fourteen Points and the establishment of the League of Nations in the hope of creating a more peaceful world.
Wilson once summed up his faith in democratic principles by stating, “I steadfastly stand for what I believe to be the interests and legitimate demands of the people themselves.”
