About
Thomas Woodrow Wilson, born December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia, and died February 3, 1924, in Washington, D.C., was the 28th President of the United States (1913–1921). The only U.S. president to hold a doctorate (in political science, from Johns Hopkins University, 1886), he served as president of Princeton University (1902–1910) and Governor of New Jersey (1911–1913). His first term saw economic reforms (Federal Reserve Act, Clayton Antitrust Act). He led the United States into World War I in 1917 and proposed the Fourteen Points for a lasting peace, including the creation of the League of Nations. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919.
Major works
- Congressional Government (1885)essay
- The State: Elements of Historical and Practical Politics (1889)essay
- A History of the American People (1902)history
Key milestones
- 1913Signs the Federal Reserve Act, creating the U.S. central banking system.
- 1918Delivers the Fourteen Points speech, proposing a framework for post-World War I peace.
- 1919Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the war and promoting the League of Nations.
Themes
Democracy and self-determinationPeace and international cooperationEconomic reformRole of the stateWartime leadership
Sources: nobelprize.org · whitehousehistory.org · britannica.com