WOODROW WILSON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY in Partnership with Mary Baldwin College PRESENTS THE THIRD WOODROW WILSON NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM

September 24-25, 2004
Staunton, Virginia

CALL FOR PAPERS
The Election That Roared! The 1912 Presidential Campaign will be the theme for a two-day program organized by the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library for academics in the fields of history, political science, international relations and diplomacy. The symposium brings together a group of distinguished national and international scholars to participate in a series of panel presentations, keynotes, dialogue and debate. Selected specialists in their field will serve as keynotes and commentators to further an exchange of ideas related to the symposium’s theme. The 2004 program will also feature a nationally recognized guest speaker to open the two-day program. The Woodrow Wilson National Symposium (WWNS) will be held on the campus of Mary Baldwin College, a liberal arts college located in the heart of downtown Staunton and across the street from the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library.

This third Woodrow Wilson National Symposium focuses on analysis and evaluation of the 1912 presidential election. Many historians and political analysts have suggested that the campaign of 1912 was not only a turning point in American politics, but was the birth of the modern presidential election.

As the election drew near, four notable candidates rose to the challenges of a new order. On the far left was Eugene Debs, candidate for the Socialist Party, and on the right, was Republican incumbent, William Howard Taft. In the middle was the Democratic choice, Woodrow Wilson, and the wild card, former President Teddy Roosevelt, who jumped from the Republican Party and ran on a third-party ticket. All of the contenders vigorously campaigned throughout what has been characterized as one of the most remarkable presidential campaigns of the 20th century. It challenged the traditional role of election primaries and the manner in which future elections would be run, raised serious questions about the course of American politics in the new century, and established a candidate-centered vs. party-centered arena. Finally, the Socialist Party received the largest percentage of votes for Debs than any Socialist candidate in history, and the Progressives demonstrated the power of a strong third party to make an impact in an election.

The WWNS invites submissions of proposals for individual papers. Participants whose paper proposals are selected by the WWNS review committee, will be invited to present their completed papers at the 2004 Symposium. Submissions must include a 300-word abstract and title, cover letter, and curriculum vitae. No restrictions on length of papers, but the delivery time for papers selected for presentation will be limited to 20 minutes. Submit to the address below. Submissions must be postmarked no later than January 19, 2004. Inquiries can be e-mailed to Lucinda Cooke or made by phone.