Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924; he would later drop this first name entirely) was born in Virginia only a few short years before the Civil War. His family moved from there to Georgia, where he spent much of his childhood, and finally to North, then South Carolina.
Spending his formative years in the south, especially during the greatest war ever fought on American soil, Wilson, years later, could recall the horrors of the Civil War, as well as being taught by his father - a Presbyterian minister and later professor at Columbia Theological Seminary - of why it was right for the Confederacy to secede from the union.
As a young adult, Wilson lived through the reconstruction era, and much of his political ideology - which revolved at first around a general distrust with the American constitutional system - was forged by the corruption which was evident in the reconstruction policies which attempted to heal the deep scars of the south.
Education
Despite the turmoil that was facing the nation surrounding him, Woodrow Wilson, as a teenager, spent much of his time focusing on his education, though he had had a late start in this. Modern historians assume that as a child Wilson was faced with a case of dyslexia, and perhaps ADHD, in such a way that it prevented him from learning early on. In fact, this later scholar did not even learn to read until he was twelve years old.
When it came time for Wilson to enter college in 1873, he was behind other students, though he worked hard to keep up and to surpass his peers. He spent a year at Davidson College in North Carolina before transferring to the College of New Jersey (which would in 1893 change its name to "Princeton University"), from which he graduated in 1879 before moving on to law school briefly at the University of Virginia.
After dropping out of law school for personal reasons, Wilson continued to study on his own until 1882, when he moved to Atlanta in order to start a legal practice with a friend from the University. He easily passed the bar exam there and became a lawyer.
Higher Education
Practicing law did not necessarily suit this young scholar, however, who did not waste much time as a lawyer before he moved north once again, this time attending Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where in 1886 he would be awarded a PhD in History and Political Science.
To this day, Woodrow Wilson is the only American President to ever have earned a doctorate, and the only political scientist to achieve the position as well. Along with John Quincy Adams, he is often considered one of the most intelligent men to ever occupy the White House.
Woodrow Wilson became a preeminent American Scholar - authoring several books, including a five-volume history of the united states and a survey of American Government (called Congressional Government, in which Wilson expresses a great deal of concern over the faults of the American Constitution, favoring instead a parliamentary system such as in Great Britain) and spending a great deal of time studying both politics and history.
Career in Education
Woodrow Wilson was passionate about his scholarship, but also desired to one day enter politics, planning to one day run for the Senate as a stepping stone to the Presidency.
From 1885 to the turn of the century, Wilson spent his time as a professor at colleges in Pennsylvania and Connecticut, before becoming a professor at his alma mater, now named Princeton, where he remained for twelve years, during which time he published nine more books.
His career took a good turn and his popularity arose when the trustees of the University, appointed him President 1902. In essence, this was Wilson's first political office, and here he was able to hone his skills at administration and delegation, working hard to transform this Ivy League school into the grand education establishment that it is today - though it was also an opportunity for him to see just how difficult such things can be, as many of his ideas were blocked by the dean and college faculty.
Governor and Candidate
As President of Princeton, Woodrow Wilson's public profile had risen to a point where he became seriously considered as the Democratic candidate for the New Jersey Gubernatorial race in 1910. The party needed a "fresh face," who was not prone to corruption, nor controlled by the party bosses (who had become unpopular as news of their corruption spread).
Agreeing to run for the office, this was Wilson's main precondition - that he would not bow to the wishes of the bosses whatsoever. These corrupt officials were indeed shocked when Wilson won the election decisively and began to pass legislation which would limit the power and authority of these party machines - but this only earned him even more popularity among the public.
Only two years after attaining this first public office, the 1912 election arose, and Democrats were aware that their chances were good to achieve the Presidency this year, thanks to the Republican infighting between the conservatives (represented by President Taft) and the Progressives (represented by former President Roosevelt).
Wilson became just one of several possible choices for the democratic nomination that year, which culminated in one of the hardest-fought convention battles the party had ever seen. It took 28 ballots and much political maneuvering for Wilson to gain the lead over Speaker of the House Champ Clark, and 46 ballots to actually gain victory, after having promised the Indiana delegation that their governor, Thomas Marshall, would be named Vice President.
Only two years out of academia, then, Woodrow Wilson, PhD, became the 28th President of the United States.
For More Information:
President Wilson's Second Term
References:
"Woodrow Wilson." American Presidents: An Online Reference Resource.
"Biography of Woodrow Wilson." The White House.
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