The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum today announced that Dr. John Milton Cooper Jr., the foremost Woodrow Wilson scholar in the country and author of a new biography about President Wilson, will be the 2009 Annual Luncheon Speaker on Friday, Nov. 13, at noon at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Conference Center in Staunton.
Dr. Cooper’s new book, Woodrow Wilson: A Biography, was released on Nov. 3. Books will be sold at the event, and Dr. Cooper will be available to sign books after his talk. The luncheon is sponsored by Bankers Insurance and Wharton, Aldhizer and Weaver.
Dr. Don W. Wilson, President and CEO, said: “The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is honored to have John Milton Cooper speak at our event this year. No one knows more about President Wilson than Dr. Cooper, the reviews of his book are outstanding, and he is a dynamic speaker.
Dr. John Milton Cooper Jr, is the E. Gordon Fox Professor of American Institutions Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin. In addition to his new book, he is the author of Breaking the Heart of the World: Wilson and the Fight for the League of Nations and The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, among other books.
Former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, said this in his review of the Dr. Cooper’s new book: “A riveting account of one of America’s most intellectually magnetic, yet also enigmatic, presidents. Cooper does a superb job of portraying the aspirations of Wilson’s idealistic internationalism while at the same time detailing the realistic pitfalls that helped undermine it. This is a fascinating read for those who want to understand a presidency that helped set the tone for U.S. foreign policy in the 20th century.”
Presidential scholar Michael Beschloss also reviewed the book: “There is no more accomplished Woodrow Wilson scholar than Cooper, and this magisterial, judicious, deeply researched book–the culmination of decades of study–shows the author at the zenith of his powers. This book demonstrates Wilson’s importance to our own generation, and his powerful judgments will shape the way we view the 28th President for a very long time.”
Author Margaret MacMillan said this about the book: “Woodrow Wilson continues to intrigue–and divide–us. At once an idealist expressing the noblest of liberal sentiments and a racist, an intellectual and a skilled politician, a man capable of great kindness and great vindictiveness–Cooper’s masterly biography describes him warts and all. A full and fascinating study of the man and his turbulent times.”
Individual tickets to the event are $45, while patron seats are available for $135, which includes two tickets with preferred seating. Those interested in attending or with questions about the event should contact Karen McGrath, Assistant Director of Development, at [email protected], or at 540.885.0897, ext. 112.