In recognition of Congress and President Woodrow Wilson first proclaiming Mother’s Day in 1914, all mothers will be admitted free-of-charge to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum on Sunday, May 9, Mother’s Day.
The idea for Mother’s Day is credited to another person with Staunton ties--Anna Jarvis, a graduate of Augusta Female Seminary, now Mary Baldwin College. Miss Jarvis led a campaign for a day that would honor mothers everywhere. Several years of campaigning and thousands of letters to elected officials made her dream a reality.
On May 8, 1914, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed a joint resolution establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. The next day, May 9, President Wilson issued a proclamation, an excerpt of which is below:
Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint Resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States flag on all government buildings and do invite the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.
Mary Baldwin College has developed a Mother’s Day card featuring Anna Jarvis that is on sale at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum President’s Shop and at Mary Baldwin. The card features a portrait of Miss Jarvis on the front with the words “Mother’s Day is in honor of the best Mother who ever lived—the Mother of your heart.” Inside the card is a paragraph detailing Miss Jarvis’ inspiration for the national and international holiday, with space for a personal message. The cards are $2.70 each, and proceeds will benefit Women for Women International, an organization that helps women survivors of war. The price of the card is one-tenth of what it costs to support a woman survivor of war and her family for one month.
Those interested in more information about Mother’s Day or visiting the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum should contact Barbara Wimble, Manager of Visitor Services at the Presidential Library, at (540) 885-0897, ext. 106, or by email at bwimble@woodrowwilson.org.
did you know?
Wilson was president throughout World War I. He attempted to keep America out of the war and even won reelection with the slogan "He kept us out of war." Nonetheless, after the sinking of the Lusitania, continued run-ins with German submarines, and the release of the Zimmerman Telegram, America became involved. with the Lusitania, the continued harassment of American ships by German submarines, and the release of the Zimmerman Telegram meant that America joined the allies in April, 1917.
Woodrow Wilson was President when the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920 giving women the right to vote.
Wilson piloted the ship that brought America onto the world stage. He made the first steps of leading us out of isolationism, violating Washington's tenet of avoiding foreign entanglements.
He led America during World War I. His fervent hope was for the US to join a League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations.
A Woodrow Wilson Quote: "Life does not consist in thinking, it consists in acting."
A Woodrow Wilson Quote: "The Constitution was not made to fit us like a straitjacket. In its elasticity lies its chief greatness."
A Woodrow Wilson Quote: "I believe in democracy because it releases the energies of every human being."
The Seventeenth Amendment was formally adopted on May 31, 1913. Wilson had been president for almost three months at the time. The amendment provided for the direct election of senators. Prior to its adoption, Senators were chosen by state legislatures.
Wilson was the first president to receive a PhD which he got in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. He had received his undergraduate degree from the College of New Jersey, renamed Princeton University in 1896.
Woodrow Wilson could not read during the first decade of his life. Though undiagnosed, he may have suffered from a learning disability
Woodrow Wilson was known as "Tommy" until his college years.
Woodrow Wilson during his boyhood, helped establish the "Lightfoot Baseball Club" with his friends. Wilson played second base and was an avid sport fan throughout his adult life.
Woodrow Wilson was the first president to attend the Major League Baseball Fall Classic. He saw the debut of a young 20 year old pitcher by the name of George Herman "Babe" Ruth.
Woodrow Wilson was a graduate of Princeton University and Johns Hopkins University and the only president to hold an earned doctoral degree.
Woodrow Wilson image is on the $100,000 bill although it is no longer in circulation
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