The Elbert County tribune., 1916-06-23
WILSON KNOWN
AS EDUCATOR
Held Many High Positions Before
Becoming Head of Prince
ton University.
HIS POLITICAL LIFE SHORT
Was Elected Governor Of New Jcr-
sey in 1910 and President of the
United States in 1912-Of
Scotch-lrish Descent and
Born In Virginia.

Born In Virginia
Or. Woodrow Wilson was born at
Staunton, Va, on December %, 1856.
He Is the son of DR.. Joseph X. Wilson.
Presbyterian minister. and the grand
sou of Judge james Wilson. an Irish
man Of Scotch descent. who migrnted
from County Down to Philadelphia In
1907. james Wilson prospered and be-
came manager OF the Aurora. lead
ing Democratic journal. Philadelphia
then being the national capitnl.
About two years after Woodrow VIII
sons birth his father accepted a call
to the pastorate of the Presbyterian
church of Augusta. Ga. This was at
hat time one of the most Influential
congregations In the South. and the
elder Wilson remained as its pastor
throughout the Civil war. He was rec
ogniZed as one of the leading divines
Df the South.
Woodrow was only five years old
when the war broke out, and as Au-
gusta was not the scene of any actual
conflict, the hoy knew little about what
was going on. He was also shielded
from the stormy passions and violent
prejudices of the war. and grew up
into manhood unwnrped by sectional
hate.
II wns at Steubenville, Ohio. that
Toseph Ruggles Wilson. the father of
Woodrow Wilson. was born on Febru.
ary %. 1922. He was the scholar of
Ia,
lege graduated him as valedtctorinn In
1914. after which he taught school and
prepared for the Presbyterian minis
try at the Western Theological semi
nary and Princeton seminary. In 1S49
Joseph r. Wilson married Janet Wood
row. daughter of DIR. Thomas Wood
row. a famous Presbyterian minister
of the dny. who was descendant from
ancient English stock. The Rev. Mr..
Wilson became the father of two
daughters before he was chilled rs pas
tor to Staunton. Va, where n third
child. son. was horn. and christened
Thomas Woodrow.
The early years of the presidents
life were spent in the interesting
though inconspicuous pursuit of knowl-
edge. He specialized in the Inv. in
American history. and In political
economy. With this foundation laid.
he burst upon the political world in
l!10 when he was elected governor of
New Jersey on the Democratic ticket
In the second year of his governor
ship his boom for president was start
ell under the management of William
r. McCombs. one of his former stu
dents at Princeton. During the pre-
convention months no less than half
dozen other entrants for presidential
honors made their appearance.
AT the subsequent Democratic ma
'ionnl convention at Baltimore. June
2S-July 3 Mr.. Wilson beat out all en-
tries with vote that increased at
each roll call till his victory was re-
corded on the forty-sixth ballot. In
the election that followed he was an
easy victor over the Taft and Roose-
velt tickets. though his entire popular
vote did not reach that accorded VIII
liam Jennings Bryan in 1908.
OF scotch-irish Descent.
President. Wilson is the son of Jo-
seph Il. and Jessie Woodrow Wilson.
disciples of the Scotch Presbyterian
faith. He was born in the manse of II
small church in Staunton, Va. where
his father wns curate.
From Virginia the Wilson's moved to
Georgia. when Woodrow was about
two years old. There the president
spent his early boyhood .'in the heart
of the most terrible tempest that ever
swept over the country"-the Civil
war.
From Georgia the family moved to
South Carolina. In the Old Palmetto
State the future president budded into
youth and began to think upon n ca
reer. lie first attended Davidson col
lege. where he put in one year OF hard
study.
After this one year at college. Wood
row remained Mt home during the next
twelve months. transferring to his
Younger brothers a part of the learn
Ing he had brought with him from Da-
wilson.
This brings his biography up to the
year 1SI5-n momentous year for
Woodrow Wilson and for Princeton
university. 1t was the year he en-
tered Princeton.
fie had not been at Princeton long
before he found out just whnt he want
ed to do. And that thing was to he
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