The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-03


When Thomas W oodrow was two
years old his father took paNorate
In Augusta, Ga. and soon. became
one OF the most noted ministers OF
the South. Thoroughly equipped az n
fheologian, and q pulpit orator OF
power. he early reached and long
maintained d position of much In
ffuence in his church. When the Civil
war broke out he embraced the CON
federate cause
Tommy Wilson, the Augusta school
boy, ~ described by Professor John T
Derby. one Of his teachers. as quiet
and exceptionally studlous The most
important instructor of young Wilson,
however was his father. man of wide
Information on the fairs Of the world.
Ills father believed that nobody had
grasped a thought until he could put
II quickly and definitely into words.
This he did himself ard this he Ia ughf
his son tn do. AS result Tommy
came to learn the written symbols in
which peech Ia set down. he was
learning only method NJ recording
and transmitting a language which he
was already well able TO handle
Moves to Columbia,
The Wilson's moved from Augusta
TO Columbia. & &. in 1870. Dr. VIII
son resigning his passionate TO take
the chair Of pastoral and evanselistie
theology ia The Southern Preshyter II
Theological seminary. At Columbia
Tommy attended Charles BarnwelI :
private school. N the age OF seven
teen he entered Davidson College, at
Davidson. n g
Living at the college was rather
primitive. the boys Kept their oH
rooms. filled their own lamps cut up
and brought in wood for their own
fires. and carried In water from the
pump. Young Wilson Joined liter
airy society ana played On the base
ball nine. once having the pleasure Of
hearing the captain say. iIs"n.
you'd make a dandy player II yoa
weren't 80 blame sleepy
He did not finish the Year At DAVID
son, for he fell I'll before examinations
came on and was taken 10 his home,
row at Wilmington, \ c. where ms
father had taken pastorate here
Wilson took things comparatively easy
for a. year Except for tutoring IN
Greek and few other studies that
he thought might be necessary for en-
trance 10 Princeton. he busted him
self with reading looking up the MS
torfe points OF the city and with the
social life OF the city.
Or. and Mrs Wilson's popularity
had made the parsonage "A social cen
ter In the city SO the young wilson
associates. who were practically all
older than himself. were men aud
women OF culture and hFiIlianey. he-
cause of these associations II was an
urbane and amply Sc. conhdeht
Young man who left Wilmington one
day In September 1879, 10 enter
Princeton college About this time ne
dropped his Christian, name Thomas
and became known as "oodro" VIII
son.
woodrow Wilson attained proni-
nence among his mates In the famous
class of 20" No less than - Of the
1a2 graduates Of 70 we're honor men,
having an average OF 90 per cent or
hetrsr for the four years course. NJ II
son barely got in among them; ne
ranked forty-flrst
Besides being a good student at
Princeton, Wilson became managing
editor OF the college paper. and was
prominent in Undergraduate actlVi-
ties.
He spent a great deal OF his time
In the colleg. library, specializing on
government. the theory Of Y. and the
lives % roiiticaI leaders. 10 this ne
! ADDED assi,iuotts practice in writing
and extemporaneous speaking. he
belonged to Whig hall and the Liberal
Debating club.
WILSON II not !ftutttu CAS- II -
dehater, but he did score as second
sophomore orator.
At the age Of twenty two he signal
tied the closing of his undergraduate
= DAYS at Princeton by breaking tnto
the International Review. in its l/uc
OF August. 1879. with an article en-
titled, Cabinet Government in the
United States The article contrast,
ed British and American systems OF
in the British
Takes Law Course.
In the fall OF 1879 Wilson took up
the law course at the University or
Virginia. where he INDUCED In long,
dropping moustache, and in member
ship in the glee club she Sleeps.
nv Lady Sleeps" Is shown by old
programs OF university concerts 10
have been one of Wilson's tenor solos.
In May. 1882, he carried his law
diploma and an oratorIcal prize TO At
lanta, Ca, where he opened an office
for the practice of law. The office
however, did not prosper, and after
eighteen leisureiy months he gave up.
The Atlanta experiment. however,
was far from eventless. Although liti-
rants gave him nothing to do. he was
not idle. He improved his time by
recurring the promise of Miss Ellen
Louise Arson, to be his wife, The
Axons were a prominent Georgia low
lands family. The young couple were
married in 1876.
In 1888 appeared Congressional
Government, a Study of Government
by Committees" by Woodrow Wilson.
The bulk Of the labor on this volume
was done during Wilson's two-year
course In science of government in
Johns Hopkins university. which ac-
rented ffa work as thesis and con-
ferred upon the author the degree OF
Pho.
Starts Teaching Career.
In the fall OF 1885 Mr.. Wilson began
reaching political economy to the girls
Or Bryn Mawr From this institution
Ne went to Wesleyan university.
where he remained until called to
Princeton in 1880. to occupy the chair
~ jurisprudence and politics. In 1902
he was elected president OF Prince