Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/457

 AVILSON

AYILSON

WILSON, James Jefferson, senator, was born in Essex count}'. N.J., in 1775. He attended the common scliools; was clerk in the New Jersey legislature; a representative, 1809-11 and 1822; adjutant-general of the state, 1810-12 and 1814, and served during the war of 1812 as captain of a company of infantry on the New Jersey coast. He was elected to the U.S. senate as a Democrat, succeeding John Lambert. Dec. 4, 1815, serving till 1821, when he resigned and was succeeded by Samuel L. Southard, Feb. 16, 1821. He was ap- pointed by President Monroe, postmaster at Tren- ton, N.J., and was editor of The True American of Trenton. He was seriously injured by a fall from a window of his house, in December, 1822, and died in Trenton, N.J., July 28. 1824.

WILSON, John Lyde, governor of South Carolina, was born in Marlborough, S.C., May 24. 1784. He was liberally educated; was ad- mitted to the bar, 1807, and began practice in Georgetown, S.C. He was frequently a repre- sentative in the state legislature after 1808; also a state senator, serving as j^resident of the sen- ate, 1822, and as governor of South Carolina, 1822-24. He was returned to the state senate, 1827, and took an active part in the nullification convention of 1832-33. He published a Speech on the Codification of the Laws of the State (1827); Code of Honor (1838); and Cupid and Psyche: from the Golden Ass of Apideius (1842). He died in Charleston, S.C, Feb, 12, 1849.

WILSON, William Lyne, cabinet officer, was born in Jefferson county. Va., May 3, 1843; son of Benjamin and Mary (Lyne) "Wilson. He at- tended Charlestown academy; was graduated from Columbian college, Washington, D.C., A.B., 1860, A.M., 1865, LL.B., 1867, and subsequently studied in the University of Virginia. During the civil war he served in the Confederate army as a private in the 12th Virginia cavalry. He was ad- junct professor of Latin at Columbian university, 1865-66; professor of Latin. '^ 'v' ■'■■ ' ' 1866-71; was ad-

mitted to the bar in 1871, and established himself in practice at Charlestown, W. Va. He was a delegate to the Democratic national con- vention, and presidential elector at large on the Hancock and English ticket in 1880. He was president of West Virginia university, 1882-83; a regent of the Smithsonian Institution, 1883-87,

and was elected an overseer of the Columbian university in 1883. He was a Democratic repre- sentative from West Virginia in the 48th-53d congresses, 1883-95, succeeding William M. Springer as chairman of the committee on ways and means. While in congress he effected the passage of the measure repealing the purcliasing clause of the Sherman law and also that of the tariff bill called by his name. He declined the presidency of the University of Missouri in 1890; was permanent president of the Democratic na- tional convention of 1892; served as postmaster- general (as successor to Wilson S. Bissell), by ap- pointment from President Cleveland, April, 1895- March, 1897; and was president of Washington and Lee university, 1897-1900. and an overseer of Columbian university, 1883-1900. The honorary LL.D. was conferred upon him by Columbian uni- versity, 1883, by Hampden-Sidney college. 1886, by the University of Mississippi, by Tulane Univer- sity, and by Central College of -Missouri, 1895. He died in Lexington, Va., Oct. 17, 1900.

WILSON, Woodrow, educator, was born in Staunton, Va., Dec. 28, 1856; son of the Rev. Dr. Joseph Ruggles (1822-1903) and Jessie (Woodrow) Wilson; grandson of Judge James and Annie (Adams) Wilson and of Thomas and Marion (Williamson) Wood- row, and a collateral descendant of the Rev. Thomas Wod- row, the ecclesias- tical historian of Scotland, in whose honor the Wodrow Historical Society of Scotland was named. His father, (Jeffer- son college, A.B., 1844; Princeton The- ological seminary, B.D., 1846: Ogle- thorpe university,

D.D., 1857), was pro- » ~

fessor of chemistry and natural science in Hamp- den-Sidney college, 1851-55; pastor at Staunton, Va., 1855-1857, at Augusta, Ga., 1858-70; profes- sor of pastoral and evangelistic theology in Col- umbia (S.C.) Theological seminary, 1870-74; pastor at Wilmington, N.C., 1874-85; professor of theology in the South Western Presbyterian university, Clarksville, Tenn., 1885-93, and re- sided in Columbia. S.C, and Princeton, N.J., until 1903. He also served as permanent clerk of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church, south., 1861-65: as stated clerk. 1865-99. and as moderator, 1879. Woodrow Wilson attended private schools in Augusta. Ga.. and in Columbia, S.C; was a student in Davidson (N.C.) college,