Patricia O’Toole examines the complicated legacy of Woodrow Wilson in a discussion of her new book The Moralist.

A driving force behind the creation of the League of Nations, a forerunner of the United Nations, Wilson pushed a policy of internationalism that helped shape U.S. foreign relations until the current administration. He oversaw passage of the Federal Reserve Act and other important legislation.

But Wilson also abided suppression of political dissent, and his presidential ranking by historians has slipped (from No. 6 in 2000 to No. 11 a year ago) amid increased scrutiny of his staunch support of segregation.

O'Toole, a former Columbia University writing professor, is the author of five books including The Five of Hearts: An Intimate Portrait of Henry Adams and His Friends, a Pulitzer Prize finalist.