Woodrow Wilson did not live during World War I.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson ( December 28 , 1856 -- February 3 , 1924 ) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th President of the United States from 1913 to 1921 . He also led the United States during World War I , establishing an activist foreign policy known as `` Wilsonianism . '' Upon the outbreak of World War I in 1914 , Wilson maintained a policy of neutrality , while pursuing a more aggressive policy in dealing with Mexico 's civil war .