Historical Name: Woodrow Wilson
Common Name: Hackberry
Latin Name: Celtis occidentalis
The President Woodrow Wilson Hackberry stands at the Staunton, Virginia birthplace of the nation鈥檚 28th president. Woodrow Wilson was born in 1856, the son of a Presbyterian minister. Wilson was the nation鈥檚 first international leader. His vision of world peace was outlined in his famous 鈥淔ourteen Points,鈥� an address to Congress on January 8, 1918. He campaigned for reelection on the slogan, 鈥淗e kept us out of war.鈥� However, he finally succumbed to the pressures of war after four American ships were sunk by the Germans during World War I. Addressing Congress, Wilson asked for a declaration of war, saying, 鈥淚t is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war.鈥� Wilson was recognized as a peacemaker, however. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919. He was also an author, scholar, university president, governor and statesman. His Staunton home is now a National Historic Landmark. This tree grew from a seed taken from the Woodrow Wilson Hackberry in Staunton, and was planted into UCNJ鈥檚 Historic Tree Grove in 1997.
(text adapted from American Forests)