A committee to establish a marker at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs that "educates the campus community and others about the positive and negative dimensions of Wilson's legacy" welcomes input from Princeton students, alumni, faculty and staff through a new website.
The site encourages people to comment on the form of the marker as well as what part or parts of Wilson's legacy it should emphasize. Those interested in sharing their thoughts with the committee should complete the brief survey, which will remain open through Jan. 31.
"We have been carefully considering the various forms a marker could take, including examples we have examined from other institutions," said Ron McCoy, co-convener of the Woodrow Wilson Marker Committee and University architect. "A historical marker could be created through a monument, memorial, work of art or a digital exhibit, for example. We look forward to the fruitful ideas and insights we will receive from the Princeton family."
Cecilia Rouse, committee co-convener and dean of the Woodrow Wilson School, added: "Our goal is to create an honest, thought-provoking marker that will convey the complexities of Wilson's legacy. This marker will not only draw attention to the person but also contribute to the overall identity of the Woodrow Wilson School."
Wilson served as the 13th president of the University and as the 28th president of the United States.
In April 2016, the University's Board of Trustees adopted the report and recommendations made by the Wilson Legacy Review Committee on how the University should recognize and represent his legacy, including placing a permanent marker on Scudder Plaza beside Robertson Hall.
Marker committee members include: Tera Hunter, professor of history and African American studies; Nolan McCarty, the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Politics and Public Affairs and chair of the Department of Politics; Rhonda Adams Medina, Class of 1987, vice president, business and legal affairs, Sprout; Chika Okeke-Agulu, associate professor of art and archaeology and African American studies; Matt Blazejewski Class of 2017; Imani Thornton, Class of 2018; Milan Reed, MPA 2017; and Simone Webster, MPA 2017.
Background information about Woodrow Wilson can be found through an exhibit created at Princeton last year: "In the Nation's Service? Woodrow Wilson Revisited."
