Ellen Axson Wilson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellen Axson Wilson
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Wilson c. 1912
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| First Lady of the United States | |
| In role March 4, 1913 – August 6, 1914 |
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| President | Woodrow Wilson |
| Preceded by | Helen Taft |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Wilson (acting) |
| First Lady of New Jersey | |
| In role January 17, 1911 – March 1, 1913 |
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| Governor | Woodrow Wilson |
| Preceded by | Charlotte Fort |
| Succeeded by | Mabel Fielder (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ellen Louise Axson
May 15, 1860 Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | August 6, 1914 (aged 54) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Cause of death | Bright's Disease |
| Resting place | Myrtle Hill Cemetery |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Margaret, Jessie, and Eleanor |
| Signature |  |
Ellen Louise Wilson (born Axson; May 15, 1860 – August 6, 1914) was the first wife of Woodrow Wilson, who became the 28th President of the United States. She was the mother of their three daughters. Like her husband, she grew up in the Southern United States. She was also the daughter of a minister. Ellen was born in Savannah, Georgia, but she spent most of her childhood in Rome, Georgia. She loved art and studied at the Art Students League of New York before she got married. She continued to create art throughout her life.
She served as the First Lady of the United States from 1913, when her husband became president, until her death in 1914. During this time, she helped arrange White House weddings for two of her daughters. She was the third First Lady to pass away while her husband was still in office.
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Early Life and Art
Ellen Louise Axson was born in Savannah, Georgia. Her father, Reverend Samuel Edward Axson, was a Presbyterian minister. Her mother was Margaret Jane Axson. Ellen grew up with a love for art, music, and books.
When she was eleven, she started studying art at Rome Female College in Rome, Georgia. After she graduated in 1876, one of Ellen's drawings, called School Scene, was sent to the Paris International Exposition. It won a bronze medal for being excellent.
Meeting Woodrow Wilson
In April 1883, Ellen met Woodrow Wilson. He was visiting his cousin in Rome, Georgia. At that time, Ellen was taking care of her widowed father. Woodrow Wilson was very impressed by Ellen's "splendid laughing eyes!"
They became engaged five months later. However, they waited to get married. Woodrow finished his studies at Johns Hopkins University. Ellen also spent time caring for her sick father.
Family Life
Wilson, who was 28 years old, married Ellen, who was 25, on June 24, 1885. Their wedding took place at her grandparents' home in Savannah, Georgia. Both his father and her grandfather, who were ministers, performed the ceremony. They spent their honeymoon in Waynesville, North Carolina, a mountain resort.
That same year, Dr. Wilson was offered a teaching job at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. He and Ellen lived near the campus. Ellen's younger brother also lived with them.
Their Daughters
Ellen and Woodrow Wilson had three daughters:
- Margaret Woodrow Wilson (1886–1944) - She became a singer and businesswoman. Later in life, she became a Hindu nun.
- Jessie Woodrow Wilson (1887–1933) - She worked at a settlement house in Philadelphia for three years. In 1913, she married Francis B. Sayre at the White House. They moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, when Sayre joined the faculty at Harvard Law School. Jessie was active in groups like the League of Women Voters and the YWCA. She also served as secretary of the Massachusetts Democratic Committee.
- Eleanor Randolph Wilson (1889–1967) - She married Secretary of the Treasury William Gibbs McAdoo.
Ellen wanted her first two children to be born in the South. So, she stayed with relatives in Gainesville, Georgia, for Margaret's birth in 1886 and Jessie's in 1887. However, Eleanor was born in Connecticut in 1889. At that time, Wilson was teaching at Wesleyan University.
As First Lady
Wilson's career at Princeton University began in 1890. This brought Ellen new social duties. She often found comfort in her art during these busy times. As First Lady, she continued to draw and paint. She had a studio set up on the third floor of the White House. She gave many of her artworks to charity.
Ellen also helped arrange the White House weddings for two of her daughters. When Wilson was elected president in 1912, the Wilsons decided not to have an inaugural ball. The First Lady's parties were simple, but her warm and friendly nature made them very successful. In their first year, she convinced her husband that it was fine to invite important lawmakers to private dinners.
Ellen devoted much effort to improving housing in the poor areas of Washington, D.C. Many of these areas were home to African American families. She visited rundown alleys and brought these problems to the attention of wealthy young women and members of Congress.
Later Life and Legacy
Ellen Louise Wilson passed away from Bright's disease at the White House on August 6, 1914. She was buried in Rome, Georgia, with her family at Myrtle Hill Cemetery.
In December 1915, President Woodrow Wilson married again, to Edith Bolling Galt.
See also
In Spanish: Ellen Axson Wilson for kids
Images for kids
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Ellen Axson Wilson by her friend Frederic Yates - 1906
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Ellen Louise Wilson's grave in Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Rome, Georgia
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Ruth Nelson portrayed Ellen Axson Wilson in the 1944 film Wilson
