John M Cooper | Woodrow Wilson in Context

Woodrow Wilson was widely admired throughout the twentieth century. Surveys of scholars often included him among the higher ranks of presidents. Many of his critics acknowledged his administration as among the most consequential in our history.

In the early twenty-first century Wilson’s star has been in eclipse. His positions on race and gender issues have been highlighted for their jarring discordance from those of our time. Some conservatives see him as uniquely culpable for the subsequent development and overreach of the administrative apparatus and war powers of our national government.

His name has been removed from the public affairs school at Princeton University, an institution that he led into its modern form.

Has the dismissal of Woodrow Wilson gone too far? As with Thomas Jefferson, can we acknowledge his faults and limitations while learning from his visionary insights and seeking to achieve his ideals?

No one is better placed to explore these issues than John M. Cooper, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has dedicated his illustrious career to illuminating Wilson and his era. While Cooper is an admirer of our twenty-eighth president, he’s clear-eyed about his flaws and missteps.

Cooper is perhaps best known to the public as the author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Woodrow Wilson: A Biography, acclaimed as the definitive one-volume account of Wilson's wide-ranging life and work.

In this episode of the Serve to Lead podcast, Cooper discusses Wilson's historical legacy and reputation—and makes the case for its actionable relevance in our time of accelerating change.

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