Ellen Axson Wilson, first wife of Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the United States, died August 6, 1914. She was 54.

Mrs. Wilson was born May 15, 1860 in Savannah, Georgia. The daughter of an itinerant Presbyterian preacher, she graduated from a women’s college in Rome, Georgia in 1876.

Ellen Axson met Woodrow Wilson in 1883 while he was in Rome for business. A courtship ensued and the two were married on June 24, 1885. They had three daughters.

An artist of note, Mrs. Wilson exhibited her paintings at several one-woman shows from 1910-13. She won both acclaim and awards for her work.

In 1885, Mr. Wilson was offered a teaching position at Bryn Mawr College. In 1890, he was hired by Princeton as a political science professor, and by the time he left, he was the university’s president.

Mrs. Wilson did not seek the limelight, and was not enthusiastic about her social responsibilities as the wife of a college administrator. She often turned to her art for solace.

When his high profile position at Princeton caught the eye of conservative Democrats, they wanted to groom him for the presidency. He was elected Governor of New Jersey in 1911. In the general election of 1912, he won the presidency in a three-man race with incumbent William Howard Taft and former President Teddy Roosevelt.

Mrs. Wilson did not perform her First Lady duties with the kind of pomp and circumstance of former presidents’ wives. She was low key and demure in her approach. Preferring small gatherings, she promoted the establishment of White House gardens for intimate get togethers. The famous Rose Garden was one of her inspirations.

She also worked for adequate affordable housing for poor people in Washington. She made high profile visits to city slums, hoping to raise awareness and convince lawmakers to do something about the deterioration of the inner city. Shortly before her death, Congress passed legislation to improve living conditions in Washington. It became known as Ellen Wilson’s bill.

Mrs. Wilson suffered chronic kidney disease. She died from the ailment on August 6, 1914, less than two years after her husband’s election to the White House. The president took her remains to Rome, Georgia for burial.