Woodrow Wilson

Wilson fell in love with Ellen Louise Axson, an accomplished artist, at church, and the two got married in 1885. The couple had three daughters together and the marriage continued till Ellen's death in 1914.

Wilson married Edith Bolling Galt in December 1915. It is said that when Wilson suffered serious stroke in October 1919 and became invalid, Edith hided the severity of his illness and made decisions in his stead.

Woodrow Wilson died on February 3, 1924, at the age of 67.

Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia, to Joseph Ruggles Wilson and Jessie Janet Woodrow. His father was a Presbyterian minister.

During his childhood, his family moved all over the South and Wilson witnessed the ravages of the Civil War from close quarters.

Wilson had a form of dyslexia and as a result, he had an ordinary academic record in school. He overcame his academic limitations by studying at home with his father, who instilled a passion for oratory and debate in his son.

In 1873, Wilson got enrolled at the Davidson College in North Carolina but transferred to Princeton in 1875. He graduated in 1879.

In 1879, he joined the Law School at the University of Virginia. After graduating from the Law School, he practiced law for a year in Atlanta, Georgia, but his practice did not flourish.

Wilson taught ancient Greek and Roman history at Bryn Mawr College from 1885 to 1888. Thereafter, he joined Wesleyan University, where he coached the football team and founded the debate team.

In 1890, he became a professor of Jurisprudence and Political Economy at the Princeton University. He also served as Princeton University’s president from 1902 to 1910.

Wilson was a very popular teacher during his stint in Princeton University and was known his progressive ideas on reforming education. He wanted to change the admission system, the pedagogical system, and wanted to introduce innovative curriculum upgrades.

In 1910, he entered politics when he contested New Jersey’s gubernatorial election on Democratic Party’s ticket. Wilson won the election by defeating Republican candidate Vivian M. Lewis and became the Governor of New Jersey.

As Governor, he focused on four major state reforms—electoral reforms, a corrupt practices act, Workmen's Compensation, and establishment of a commission to regulate utilities.

During his term as President, American Congress passed several progressive legislations. These include: the Federal Reserve Act, Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Federal Farm Loan Act and the Adamson Act.

After the culmination of World War I, he was instrumental in the formation of the League of Nations, a multilateral organization formed to ensure world peace.