Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-11
alistcllantous Rraaina.
MRS. WOODROW WILSON
Wife of the President of the United
States.

Wife of the President of the United
States.
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, who died last
Thursday at the White House. was be
fore her marriage Miss Ellen Louise
AXson. daughter of Samuel Edward
and Margaret Jane (HoyD AXson. She
was born in Savannah, Ga, and there
she received her early education al
home before entering the Womans
college at Rome Ga. In the latter CITY,
her father, a Presbyterian minister,
had a church. Until the death of her
parents. Mrs. Wilson spent most or
her time in Rome, but subsequently
she went to Gainesville, Ga, where she
lived with a maternal aunt During
her early years she also was accus-
toned to make long visits to her uncle,
Randolph Arson, and her grandfather
the Rev. l. S. K. AXson, in savannah:
In her girlhood, Mrs. Wilson deVei-
oped a love of art that was never di-
minished by her widening interest in
other things. Finishing her college
education, she went to New York ana
studied there at the Art Students,
League. 1t was in that city she was
Wooed by Woodrow Wilson. She was
married in Savannah in the old home
of her parents, and her grandfather,
acceding to her wishes, performed the
ceremony. The homestead in whlch
they became man and wife was an OBJ
ject of moving interest to her and Mr.
Wilson when they visited savannah IN
the spring of 1912.
An account of their wedding, which
was in the summer when many of
Mrs. Wilson's friends were away, ap-
peared in the Savannah Morning
News of Thursday, June %, 1885. The
notice was printed in the Local Per
sonals" because there was no society
column in those days. The announce
ment read:
the late Rev. Edward AXSon, OF this
city, and Mr. Wilson, son of the Rev.
j. r. Wilson, of Wilmington, N. c.,
were married last evening at the resi-
dence of the Rev. l. S. K. Arson, pas
tor of the Independent Presbyterian
church. The ceremony was performed
by the bridegroom's father and the
brides grandfather. The nuptials
were celebrated quietly, only the inti-
mate friends and relatives of the con-
tracing parties being present.
Following their marriage Mr.. Wilson
became a member of the first faculty
of Byrn Mawr College, where he be,
came professor of history and political
town, Conn, when Professor Wilson
was called to chair in Wesleyan
university. Her last years as the wife
of a college professor were spent in
Princeton, n. ].
Mr. and Mrs Wilson have three
daughters. The first is Miss Margaret
Wilson, who is an accomplished singer,
devoted to outdoor sports and books as
we'll The second was Miss Jessie
hA Il NtN
teenth White House bride" became
the wife of Francis Bowes Sayre, for
merly of the staff of the district attor-
ney of New York. The third was Miss
Eleanor Randolph Wilson, the presi-
dents youngest daughter, who was
married recently to Secretary of the
Treasury William Gibbs McAdoO, one
of Mr. Wilson's closest political advis-
erS.
Mrs. Wilson was the companion of
her husband and she also was just as
much the companion of her daughters.
Her household was a democratic and
therefore a simple one. In their home
life the president was very dependent
on her She was occupied with pro-
viding for his comfort and often guard
ed him against intruders when the
president wanted to be quiet. Mrs.
Wilson had a love of books, such as her
husbands and constantly they read
together and in the family circle.
Mrs. Wilson took entire charge of
the education of her daughters until
they attained the age of II and were
ready to enter a private school in pre-
paration for their college training.
Poetry, art and nature were her
chief interests. Among her favorite
poets were Milton, Browning and
Wordsworth. She also was a lover OF
Shakespeare.
1t was the belief of Mrs. Wilson
that the modern woman had a duty to
the community in addition TO her
home. Although she was not unduly
fond of society she was a charming
hostess in private life, later winning
the admiration of all who knew her as
mistress of the White House.
At the White House Mrs. Wilson es-
tablished most democratic ideas. Her
receptions were marked by simplicity,
but she presided with grace and cul-
ture. At no time did she allow her
position as the first lady of the land to
make others i'll at ease. Guests at her
small receptions felt as much at home
in the White House as if they were her
guests at the simple home of her early
days at Princeton.
While tradition fixed the character
-
Wilson made no marked innovations
aside from discarding wines, in the
smaller affairs at the White House her
personality was most marked. She
gave many musicals in the afternoons,
to which she invited intimate friends
to hear celebrities and well-knOwn
amateurs. The White House became
the home of the friends of the early
days of the Wilson's, and the hospitality
extended was simple and home-like.
Mrs. Wilson had not appeared at any
of the White House affairs for many
months. Her last public appearance
was at a reception to the army and
navy on February -. This OvertaXed
her strength, and since that time she
had not been seen even by her inti-
mate friends.
Mrs. Wilson was sincerely interested
in many charitable activities. She was
in close personal touch with nearly
every charitable, corrective or eduCa
tional institution in New Jersey. She
knew every detail of the war against
tuberculosis and she was equally ia
miliar with the work To help feeble
minded children. Mrs. Wilson was
deeply interested in the cause of juve-
nile delinquentS.
In her first days in Washington, she
became most active in civil reform
movements. She was instrumental in
forming the housing movement TO
build tenement houses along the lines
or the Octavia Hall tenementS in Phil
adelphia. She was interested person
ally in the Southern Educational and
Industrial association which has as its
purpose the encouragement of indus
try in the homes of the poor Of the
south. one room in the White House
was furnished entirely by workers un-
der the supervision of the associa-
uOn.
Her Kindness of heart was disclosed
in an interesting way last fall when
the wife of the president went to the
government printing office to aScer-
tain whether the employees were work