Woodrow Wilson Facts & Photos

Learn about Woodrow Wilson’s personal and political life, his visionary ideals and his surprising sense of humor. Click here >

Journey into History Summer Camp

The 2009 Journey into History Camp was a big success.  The camp was a three-day session for children ages 7-10 held at the WWPL from June 23-25, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon each day.   This year's theme was "Children of the World:  Living the League of Nations."  The camp was sponsored by Blue Mountain Coffees, Pufferbellies toy store, and the Split Banana ice cream shop.

At our history camp, we work to instill children with knowledge and appreciation for history through a variety of fun and educational experiences.  Each summer's session opens a window onto a different facet of life in the nineteenth- and early twentieth-century and provides a rich historical experience for young campers.  Activities focus on games, crafts, music, and dancing of the Wilson Era (1856-1924).

For more information about the camp program, contact Ellen Abernethy, the WWPL's Museum Educator, at eabernethy@woodrowwilson.org, or at (540) 885-0897 ext. 110.

To see a News Leader story about the summer camp, click here.

To see a television story about the camp, click here.

To see a News-Virginian story about the camp, click here.

To see a News Leader editorial complimenting the camp, click here.

To see a second television story about the camp, click here.

WWPL Announces Appointment of Peter F. deVaux as Honorary Chair; Stephan Milo, Haskell Rhett, and Reed Whitaker as Trustees

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Foundation today announced that its Board of Trustees has appointed Peter F. deVaux as Honorary Chair of the Foundation, the third person so honored in the 71 year history of the Foundation.  The Foundation also announced the election of Stephan W. Milo of Staunton, Virginia; Haskell Rhett of Afton, Virginia; and R. Reed Whitaker of Kansas City, Missouri; as new Trustees for three-year terms that will begin on July 1.    

Dr. A. Stanley Link, Jr., Chair of the Board of the WWPL, said, “We are pleased that Pete has agreed to serve as Honorary Chair and that Steve, Haskell, and Reed are joining the Board.  Along with the leadership of Don W. Wilson as our incoming President, Pete and these new Trustees will provide expertise and experience to the Foundation and will ensure that there are exciting times ahead for the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.”

Peter deVaux served as Chair of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library from 1999 to 2007.  His career included senior financial executive positions at two advertising firms, Young and Rubicam in New York and Chiat/Day in Los Angeles, before he retired to Augusta County.  After he completed his service as Chair of the Foundation, he and his wife, Paula, moved to British Columbia, Canada.  Mr. deVaux succeeds the late Dolores Lescure, who served as Honorary Chair for 13 years beginning in 1993.  The late Dr. Arthur S. Link, a famous Wilson scholar, was the Foundation’s first Honorary Chair. 

Stephan Milo is a partner in the Staunton office of Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver, a Harrisonburg, Virginia-based law firm.  Haskell Rhett is President Emeritus of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and has served as Vice President of The College Board, Director of the Educational Testing Service, and Assistant Chancellor of Higher Education for New Jersey.  Reed Whitaker is Regional Administrator of the National Archives at Kansas City and was co-chairman of the 1990 Eisenhower Centennial.   

The three new Trustees are replacing retiring Board members Hampden H. Smith, III, of Lexington; Rita M. Smith of Richmond; and Wilson F. Vellines, Jr., of Staunton; who were appointed as Associate Trustees of the Foundation.  

For more information, click here>

WWPL Seeks Applicants for Director of Library and Archives Department

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, Virginia, seeks applicants for the position of Director of the Library and Archives Department.  The Director manages the day-to-day operations of the library and archives, including the following:

• Oversee preservation and storage of document collection.
• Maintain and develop digital archive, including transcription, proofreading, scanning, and organizing documents.
• Respond to research queries, including photographic requests, and facilitate on-site research.
• Hire, train, and supervise library and archives staff, interns, and volunteers.
• Prepare and manage the department budget.
• Seek grant opportunities and write grant applications.
• Prepare and deliver on-site and off-site presentations to staff, Trustees, and outside groups.
• Maintain donor relations relating to document collections.

Education and Experience Requirements
Graduate degree recommended, preferably in American history or library science; 3-5 years of managerial or supervisory experience, preferably in a museum or library setting; strong written and interpersonal communication skills.

Those interested in applying should send a cover letter and resume, including three references, to the WWPL Director of Administration and Finance at Post Office Box 24, Staunton, Virginia  24402-0024.  Salary commensurate with experience.  Position open until filled.  The WWPL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

WWPL Hosts Teacher Institute

From June 14-19th, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum hosted a teacher institute through a Teaching American History Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.  The institute is designed to provide selected teachers with resources and experiences to expand their knowledge and understanding of American history.  

In 2008, Waynesboro Public Schools, along with a consortium of other Virginia school districts and educational partners, received the grant for its program “Critical Connections in American History”.  The program was established to enable elementary, middle, and high school instructors to master the traditional elements of the nation’s history in order to enhance and deepen their understanding of the significant issues, episodes, and turning points in the history of the United States.  The project explores the various domestic and international influences and universal ideals that led to the founding of the United States and contributed to making it into the great nation it is today.  The grant supports a program of workshops and summer seminars for 25 teachers over the course of three years. 

To view a television news story about the first day of this week's institute, click here.

For more information about this program, click here.

WWPL Celebrates Flag Day

In recognition of President Woodrow Wilson first proclaiming Flag Day in 1916, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum distributed American flags to guests on Flag Day, Sunday, June 14. 

President Woodrow Wilson established Flag Day with a Proclamation on May 16, 1916.  Communities across the nation celebrated Flag Day that day and in the years to come.  
 

In addition to the proclamation, President Wilson gave two major speeches about Flag Day.  On June 14, 1915, the year before the proclamation, he gave an address honoring the flag.  The next year, on June 14, 1916, one month after this proclamation, he gave another Flag Day address describing the proclamation and again urging Americans to honor the flag.  That day, he led the Flag Day parade in Washington.  
 

The idea for Flag Day originated in 1885, when a Wisconsin public school teacher decided that his students should celebrate June 14 as “Flag Birthday.”  That day marked the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of the Stars and Stripes in 1777.  In 1949, 33 years after President Wilson’s proclamation, President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress officially designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

To watch a television news story about Flag Day at the WWPL, click here.

For more information about the Presidential Library's celebration of Flag Day, click here.        

WWPL Honors Woodrow Wilson Essay Contest Winners in Portsmouth

Three Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum staff members, Executive Director Eric Vettel, Director of Development Nancy McIntyre, and Director of Special Events Karen McGrath, traveled to Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, on May 27th, to present Woodrow Wilson Essay Contest awards totaling $5,000.00 to student winners.  The Presidential Library and Woodrow Wilson High School jointly sponsored the Woodrow Wilson Essay Contest to further the students’ knowledge of President Wilson.  

There were eight winners of the contest, two from each class.  The senior class winners received $1,000.00 each, while the other winners received $500.00 each.  At the ceremony, Dr. Vettel presented each winner with a certificate and a mock check. 

Here is a list of the winners:  

12th Grade       Justine Jackson and Jasmine Pringle
11th Grade       Shawn Bowers and Jennifer Duty
10th Grade       Brittany Boomer and Anastasia Peele
9th Grade         Meredith Hollingsworth and Jakira Jordan  

The contest awards come from an anonymous donor, who promotes the idea of essay contests at schools named for President Wilson.  The Presidential Library has held similar essay contests at the Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Tampa, Florida, the last two years.  When CNN Political Analyst Bill Schneider spoke at the Presidential Library last year, the Presidential Library learned that Dr. Schneider is an alumnus of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth and decided to establish an essay contest at the school.  The Presidential Library looks forward to continuing the Woodrow Wilson Essay Contest at other Woodrow Wilson schools in the future.

WWPL Part of Kids' Book Festival

Hundreds of children participated in games and other activities with WWPL Museum Educators Ellen Abernethy and Karen Church at the Kids' Book Festival in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Saturday, May 16.  The event, sponsored by Virginia public television station WVPT with key financial sponsorship from Wachovia and Verizon, attracted children from all over the area in the name of children's literacy.  This was the festival's seventh year in a row, and, as in past years, each child under the age of 10 received a free book.  More than 1,800 children attended with more than 2,000 adults, and 4,000 books were distributed.  Ellen and Karen were among the 200 workers at the event and look forward to participating next year as well.

New Library and Research Center

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum has embarked on a historic campaign to raise $2 million to acquire, renovate, retrofit, and endow a beautiful historic two-story mansion, called Kenwood by its previous owners, directly adjacent to the Dolores Lescure Center, which houses our Woodrow Wilson Museum. This building will be renovated into an incomparable Library and Research Center that will be fully integrated into the existing campus.

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Newsweek and Washington Post Columnist Robert Samuelson speaks at WWPL Luncheon

We are pleased that Robert Samuelson, columnist and contributing editor on politics, economics, and social issues for Newsweek and The Washington Post, was the speaker at the 2009 Spring Speaker Series luncheon on Friday, May 8, at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center in Staunton.  Mr. Samuelson spoke on the Federal Reserve, a relevant topic given the nation’s economic challenges, and an appropriate topic for a Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library audience, given that President Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law in 1913.  The event was sponsored by Edward Jones Investments.

Read more about Mr. Samuelson and the event>

Congressional Legislation and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is pleased to announce that Senate Bill 3477, the Presidential Records Preservation Act of 2008, passed the Senate and the House at the end of September and was signed into law by President Bush on October 13th. While the federal presidential library system safeguards the history of Presidents from Hoover forward, this legislation establishes a system for preserving pre-Hoover presidential history. The bill establishes a matching grant program through the National Archives and Records Administration for organizations like the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum that preserve and make accessible historical materials for pre-Hoover Presidents.

Read More >

Military Historian Edward Lengel Headlines Family Reunion

We are pleased that University of Virginia Professor Edward G. Lengel, a noted military historian, was the keynote speaker at our Fourth Annual Wilson First Families Reunion on Saturday, May 9^th, in our new Library and Research Center.  Dr. Lengel discussed his recent book, To Conquer Hell:  The Meuse-Argonne, 1918, about the epic World War I battle.  Dr. Lengel spoke about how little is known about World War I and the Meuse-Argonne battle and how underappreciated World War I veterans are in the United States.

Read more >

WWPL Adds Kids' Corner to Museum

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is pleased to announce its first interactive “Kids’ Corner.”  Housed in the Woodrow Wilson Museum, the Kids’ Corner gives younger visitors the opportunity to play with Wilson-era toys and books, dress up in period costumes, and go on a scavenger hunt.  While they’re having fun, children can learn about President Wilson and his times. 

Jarod Kearney, Curator at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, said “The Kids’ Corner helps us reach the younger visitors and makes our entire site more family-friendly.  We’ve found that the Kids’ Corner is not just for children.  Adults can join in, too.”

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library has long had educational programming for children, including special programs in the schools and on the WWPL campus, a summer children’s history camp, and the annual Woodrow Wilson Birthday Open House.  The Kids’ Corner broadens the Presidential Library’s outreach to children who come daily as regular visitors.  The toys, books, and costumes in the Kids’ Corner are suitable to children ages four to 12.  The four scavenger hunts, designed by Museum Interpreter Bob Wright, are suitable to students in grade levels from kindergarten to high school.

Those interested in more information about the Kids’ Corner or visiting the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum should contact Jarod Kearney, the Curator, at (540) 885-0897, extension 111, or at jkearney@woodrowwilson.org.

Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Now a Part of Presidents' Pass Program

The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Monticello and other historical sites as a part of the Presidents' Pass Program. The $34 pass includes admission to Monticello, Ashlawn-Highland, and Michie Tavern, as well as a $2 discount at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Musuem and Montpelier. With the purchase of the pass, a vistor to all the participating sites can realize up to a $9 savings. Passes are available for purchase at each of these sites, including the WWPL.

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WWPL Filmed for "Road Trip to History" Documentary

On Sunday, May 17, a crew from the television documentary series "Road Trip to History" filmed a 1920's Garden Party at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, complete with guests dressed in period attire, a portrayal of President Wilson, and live 1920's-era music performed by Rhonda Sager and Doug Arthur of Strasburg, Virginia.  The crew from Oak Tree Productions of West Virginia plans to complete the documentary, which is focused on historic gardens in Virginia, by this summer.

See the News Leader photo gallery for photos of the event.

Read the News-Virginian story about the event.