Statement from The Wilson Center

The Wilson Center was chartered by Congress in 1968 as the official memorial to President Wilson. The namesake of our institution – while a visionary in international affairs – held racist views and implemented racist policies as President of Princeton University and as President of this country.

As recently as our nation’s marking of Juneteenth this year, we have acknowledged this aspect of Wilson’s legacy. In February of this year, the Wilson Center’s Hubert H. Humphrey Lecture was given by the former Provost of Northwestern University, Dr. Johnathan Holloway, who examined President Wilson’s legacy through a critical racial lens. Our diverse, international team of scholars will continue to grapple with these issues with clear eyes, open hearts, and an unwavering commitment to the truth.

We know this is not the end of the discussion, but a new opportunity to wrestle with our history and chart a better way forward. We will continue to serve Congress and the American people as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for the policy community.