Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

A hard core white supremacist and racist who implemented such policies not only when he was President, but as Governor of New Jersey and as President of Princeton University. One of the most complex personalities to occupy the oval office it is difficult to capture him in a few sentences, but it is worth noting that the formerly lofty opinion historians held him in has slipped dramatically in the last decades. His diplomacy was often naive, and his vacillation about the First World War was pathetic and ultimately dangerous and unproductive.

Perhaps a bit too idealistic, believing the League of Nations and international legislation "outlawing" war might actually work.

The worst of the worst. Wilson is responsible for the deaths of millions of people. His war to end all wars led to all the wars thereafter.

HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!

Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day.

He did lots of good things for the country, but personally he was a bigot and tried to make a doctor declare a sufragette(sp?) insane and put away just because she wanted to vote. (FYI - Women could not vote until 1920.)

I believe he was an ok president, great in ww1, but he created bigger government.

Interesting and complex president, though not perhaps a great one. There's a great portrait in Richard Hofstadter's American Political Tradition that has stuck with me. Really our only professor-president. So much of an idealist that Freud famously diagnosed him as having an obsession with peace that put him completely out of touch with reality (though on second thought being hated by the Mussolini-loving Freud may a point or two in Wilson's favor). Wilson did everything to keep the U.S. out of one of the most ridiculous wars in human history, but eventually assented to entering it, and unfortunately didn't live to construct a better postwar plan for Germany. When Wilson's idealism brought practical benefits, such as introducing the U.S. into the modern world by originating the income tax, he deserved admiration. At other times his idealism was just empty bluster, such as his attacks on monopolies; Taft was actually a more effective trust-buster. There are some very serious demerits on... Read more

He supported segreagation? Then no.

"proponent of segregation" - need I say more?! am sure that I don't

League of Nations was a good idea.

Tried to stay out of the war until the people were ready. But proponent of segregation?! That's pretty f*ed up

Wilson was the first 'Progressive' of the modern stripe to attain the Presidency. His policies laid the foundation upon which the modern Democrat party is standing. Historians are torn between whether he was timelessly great or a tyrant; I say tyrant.

When it came to the Treaty of Versailles I tend to think that if Woodrow had had his way then World War II may not have happened. I did not agree with everyone disarming, but a lot of the stuff in his points were very good. And I definitely think his ideas were a lot better than that French idiot Clemenceau...Of course I agreed with Lloyd George the most though as he tended to agree with quite a lot of what Woodrow suggested as well as being a bit more down to earth simultaneously. I give Woodrow 5 stars: good president. EDIT: HE DAMN WELL DESERVES TO BE ABOVE THAT WASTE, ULYSSES S GRANT!

Woodrow Wilson is the third most influential president of the USA and all for the bad. He perpetuated racism by firing all African-American officeholders he could. His record of meddling and intervention in the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin American causes us problems to this day. His unnecessary and unwonted intervention in WWI upset the balance of power that had lasted and righted things in Europe for centuries. His moralistic approach to international policy still persists. His misguided blundering at the Paris Peace Talks settled nothing and even worse, brought us Hitler and WWII, the most devastating historical event ever suffered by the human race. Even his moralistic campaign to impose his ideas of Anglo-American democratic institutions on those peoples who don't want it or can't use it still persists. (Consider Iraq!)

Wilson was the best!!!!!!!!!!!

He was a racist president. Even my teacher said so.

Originated the income tax. Got us into a war we had no business being in. Gave us the original "guest worker program" with Mexico. Also botched the "peace" after WW1.  "Great" president.

In my opinion, the worst president of the 20th century. If only Bush could learn from Wilson's idealism- he thought he go against everything his country believed by spreading democracy around the world. Besides being racist and anti-feminist, Wilson invaded Latin america more than any other president. His violent intervention in Nicaragua was the admitted inspiration of the future Sandanistas.

The most overrated U.S. President of all, a racist, anti-feminist who delighted in imprisoning innocent women, self-righteous control freak who could never lead a nation, and proof positive that political scientists make terrible politicians. He established the failure of a U.S. foreign policy that haunts us to this day.

Unfortunately, many people don't know he was a racist. Extreme even by past standards.

Along with TR- one of the best US Presidents up to FDR- one of our most brilliant thinkers ever to be chief executive (Along with Jefferson and Madison). A true progressive- and the father of the 'modern' Democratic party.

Woodrow Wilson created the United Nations. He was idealistic and intelligent. But because the USA is so conservative and the rich want to stay rich, we rejected the UN. IF the US had joined the UN, we would not have had a WWII.

Wilson should have got the states into WW I much sooner. Perhaps it would not have lasted as long as it did and we would have had better outcome. His failure with the rest of the allies at Versais (SP) is mostly to blame for WW II

This man was brainy, very academic. He was also global minded, which seems to be one of the reasons Nixon used to admire him so much. But while I admire his intelligence, I would have been totally opposed to the League of Nations had I been living back then. And Wilson made the League the centerpiece of his whole presidency and eventually, his whole life. He would not compromise on any of the details, and (fortunately, in my opinion) the whole League of Nations thing failed to materialize. I'm sure that's what destroyed his health before his term of office was over. If he hadn't been so obsessed with that one thing, he would have had a far greater presidency, and could have enjoyed it more.

Some achievements to be sure, but the record of racism is there in black and white. An embarrassment.

Though a Democrat, Wilson was made from the same mold that produced TR and Taft. And Wilson continued the haphazard economic policies set up by TR and Taft. Wilson delayed US involvement in WWI costing Europe hundreds of thousands of young men. He was for a big centralized government and during the war, he seized much of the US economy. His Fourteen Points that he introduced after the war were vague and therefore meaningless. He was a white supremacist and is truly one of the four or five worst presidents in U.S. history.

Woodrow Wilson was a very smart man who led us through the first world war, and deeply beleived in woemens wrights.

the man had his flaws some of which were stated earlier (racist - unable to compromise which led to not joining the league of nations which led to WW2) HOWEVER Wilson was a genuine idealistic president who got things down. During his presidency many progressive ideas were put into law and he really did want world war one to be the war to end all wars

I'm giving him a 3 only because his foreign policies views were good and that he championed the rights of workers. ... But he was a staunch segregationist, a supporter of the KKK and against the women's right to vote.

A racist through and through

Roosevelt should have won!

Very Sad he was a racist President---and perpetuated Jim Crow policies---also very sad his inability to compromise prevented the US from joining League of Nations and thus contributed to WWII.

didn't have an inagural ball b/c it was during war-time. that's class. unlike Bush.

Ran on staying out of the war, then immediately flip-flopped and declared war on German. Just like a Democrat! (FDR, LBJ) Also supported League of Nations!

a racist, who believed he was a man of great quality and that the masses of people must be controlled, father of the private totalitarianism that exists till this day

Income Tax, racist drug laws, Federal reserve,idea of the UN and one world government, seeds of prohibition amendment related to drug prohibition, making the world safe for democracy leading to a policy of interventionism. All this and more causing an explosion in the growth of government and the attendant problems which continues directly to this day.

Wilson not only established the precursor to the United Nation, but alsoestablished important precedents dealing with domestic issues such as taxes, welfare, and a national banking system.

A terrific President!

Another awful expansion of government under the guise of reform president who did more harm than good.

A disaster. Got us into a war that we should have stayed out of and set the groundwork for the next World War by his failures in dealing with France. Also a racist way beyond any excuse that could be made for his time.

Also, overated. Had a heart, but lead us into the worst war in American history.

Economically he was mostly a progressive and he built on the work of Roosevelt. However, the intervention in WWI was likely the worst decision ever made by a U.S. president. Rather than making the world safe for democracy it made it safe for totalitarianism and set the stage for the rise of Hitler and Mussolini. Swayed by business interests, Anglophilia, and the anti-German facet of his wide ranging racism in pushing for war as well as noble and naive motives so often played up. Also, led an attack on constitutional rights, especially that of free speech, and had Eugene Debs jailed.

Come on people...this guy intoduced socialism to our nation.

Coward. Internationalist. Fool. Dupe.

His fourteen points were one of the best documents ever written. It's a shame that only the 14th, the League of Nations, was ratified.

Seems like no one knows that Woodrow Wilson was against women voting and he supported the KKK. Overall, Woodrow Wilson was a big joke.

Excellent president who led America to victory in World War I.

President Wilson had a vision but not the ability to carry it out. One measure of a great man is to imagine great things. The most important, however is his ability to realize his dreams. Germany counted on a fair peace based on his 14 points. Versailles produced a much different product - one which sowed the seeds for another world war.