Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-09
Wilson Room Opened
AT Congress Library;
Lined With His Books

The Woodrow Wilson Room, lined
with the COOKBOOK library of the
World War I President, was dedi-
Gated formally at the Library of
Congress yesterday in ceremony
attended by his widow, donor OF
the books.
The collection. including what
may have been the first book Will
son read-Parson Weems' The Life
of George Washington'-was pre-
sented to the library in 1916.
With the papers which Mrs. Will
son gave the library in 1899, the
books complete "a comprehensive
body Of record such as exists for
few Presidents of the United
States" DR.. Luther H. Evans,
librarian of Congress, said.
Held to Show Development.
Francis Pendleton Gaines, presi-
dent of Washington and Lee Uni
versity, who spoke at the ceremony,
saw in Wilson'S collection and an
notation Of books the constant
reflection of the development of a
great purpose within his own heart"
When this day is long passed
into history, scholars will come back
to this room for light upon the
future he said. adding that Wood
row Wilson is the patterns of our
expectancy for the service an edu-
Gated man can render to the world"
DR.. Evans. in his dedication
speech, eXtolled the President as
one whose name is indelibly as
ISOLATED bath with the effort to es-
tablish new freedom for the eco
nomic life of the people of his own
Nation and the crusade to establish
q lasting peace for the peoples of
all nations"
Aid to Scholars.
Like DR.. Gaines, he hailed the
collection as means of under
standing and interpreting Woodrow
Wilson and his times for scholars
OF the present and future genera
tons.
He went on to say that mans
library in a sense is a reflection of
himself, mirror of his interests, a
signpost to his ways of thinking.
clue to the understanding of his
career"
The books which Wilson collected,
the librarian noted, are not par
ticularly rare or uncommon. Most
of them. he said, ARE of the sort
that could be found today in the
home of discriminating scholar or
on the shelves Of a good public
library"
Books Follow Career.
The volumes follow Wilson
through his years as a Princeton
undergraduate, his brief career as
a lawyer, his preparation for his
ooctorate at Johns Hopkins Uni
versity, his career as an academic
leader, and as Governor of New
Jersey, Chief Executive and a states
man in retirement.
OF reading Weems' fanciful Cher
~ tree biography of Washington
Wilson is said to have recalled
many years later having thought
even then. child as I was, that
something doubtless more than COM
mon must have been possessed by
that cause for which our fathers
fought"
Some Of the books Wilson used
while he was attending schoo! at
Columbia. S. c., including an 1849
revised edition of Noah Websters
Dictionary, contain the youthful
signature. Thomas w. Wilson," the
first of the ways he experimental
With signing his name before he
finally decided in 1881 to omit the
first name.
Contain Shorthand Notes.
In Latin-English dictionary in
1874, he wrote: "Admonition. Do
not steal this book, my gallant
friend, for fear the gallows will
be your end! Thos. Wilson"
The volumes contain notes Will
son made in his books as he read
them, in sort of personal Short
hand, His annotations seem to
have ceased during the middle 80's,
although for many years he con-
tinued to sign his name to them.
Associated with the library are
a number Of diplomas and other
testimonials of gratitude given to
the President by foreign govern
ments and institutions. Among
them is the Nobel Peace Medal and
Award he received in 1919.
Present at the ceremony were q
group Of friends, library officials
and educators, many of whom had
attended a luncheon given earlier
by DR.. Evans in the Whittall Pavil-
ion at the library. Attorney Gen.
eral Clark and Chief Judge Harold
NJ Stephens Of the United States
Court Of Appeals were among those
who attended the dedication.