OK, I've allowed more than enough time for this one.
The Republican president with the first name of John? John Calvin Coolidge.
Showing posts with label Presidential Trivia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presidential Trivia. Show all posts
Friday, August 14, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Presidential Trivia -- One Last Chance
One more hint, about the presidential trivia question I posed here and here.
This president is said to have had a conversation (of sorts) with a woman who told him she had bet a friend that she could get him to say at least three words, to which he responded, "you lose".
Now do you know who "John" is?
This president is said to have had a conversation (of sorts) with a woman who told him she had bet a friend that she could get him to say at least three words, to which he responded, "you lose".
Now do you know who "John" is?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Presidential Trivia -- Followup on "John"
So far, I've received no responses to this post. You want a hint?
It's a trick question.
You want another hint?
He was the first president to be sworn into office at an inauguration that was covered live on radio.
It's a trick question.
You want another hint?
He was the first president to be sworn into office at an inauguration that was covered live on radio.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Presidential Trivia -- John
Haven't tried this in a while. Who is the only Republican (the Republican Party as we know it today, not the Democratic-Republicans or the Whigs) president whose first name was John?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Former Presidents 7: Now
No former president has had a permanent job in government, since William Howard Taft retired from the Supreme Court in 1930.
There has been some talk about them doing so. Bill Clinton was mentioned, not terribly seriously, as a candidate for the U.S. Senate from either Arkansas or New York. The possibility of his going on to the Supreme Court was also discussed. But, aside from questions that would probably have been resurrected about his behavior toward the judicial branch in the Paula Jones case, many thought that that job would not fit his active personality.
On the other hand, the talk about Gerald Ford becoming Ronald Reagan's running mate in 1980 was quite serious. But, frantic negotiations between their representatives, during that year's Republican National Convention, did not come to a successful conclusion.
During recent decades, a template has emerged of activities in which former presidents engage, that George W. Bush has said he will follow. That is especially true of presidents who retire relatively young. Bush is in the middle in regard to age. He is 62, putting him older than Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton at that stage, but younger than his father, as well as Ronald Reagan.
Writing at least one book, and founding a presidential library, constitute the bare minimum. The more recent presidents have created a larger structure centered on their libraries, with names akin to "presidential center". Those centers have carried on some combination of scholarship and political/charitable activism.
George W. Bush's library and center will be built on the campus of Southern Methodist University, in Dallas. For some reason, the Texas presidents have followed that pattern. Lyndon Johnson's library is at University of Texas--Austin, and George H.W. Bush's is on the campus of Texas A&M University, in College Station.
As far as I know, none of the other presidents' libraries are as closely tied to universities. I thought I had heard that the Kennedy Library was somehow affiliated with Harvard, but their press office has confirmed to me that that is not the case. However, they sponsor the New Frontier Award, jointly with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
I'm reminded of the old saying: there are three ways to do anything: the right way, the wrong way, and the Texas way. For whatever reason, the Texas way is to site presidential libraries on college campuses.
Some time ago, I noted with interest that, while former members of Congress often stay in the Washington area, former presidents usually do not. I later realized that that was primarily because the former members of Congress often got jobs as lobbyists. I suppose such work would be considered unseemly for a former president.
Former presidents have either moved back to their home states, or migrated to places such as New York or Southern California.
There has been some talk about them doing so. Bill Clinton was mentioned, not terribly seriously, as a candidate for the U.S. Senate from either Arkansas or New York. The possibility of his going on to the Supreme Court was also discussed. But, aside from questions that would probably have been resurrected about his behavior toward the judicial branch in the Paula Jones case, many thought that that job would not fit his active personality.
On the other hand, the talk about Gerald Ford becoming Ronald Reagan's running mate in 1980 was quite serious. But, frantic negotiations between their representatives, during that year's Republican National Convention, did not come to a successful conclusion.
During recent decades, a template has emerged of activities in which former presidents engage, that George W. Bush has said he will follow. That is especially true of presidents who retire relatively young. Bush is in the middle in regard to age. He is 62, putting him older than Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton at that stage, but younger than his father, as well as Ronald Reagan.
Writing at least one book, and founding a presidential library, constitute the bare minimum. The more recent presidents have created a larger structure centered on their libraries, with names akin to "presidential center". Those centers have carried on some combination of scholarship and political/charitable activism.
George W. Bush's library and center will be built on the campus of Southern Methodist University, in Dallas. For some reason, the Texas presidents have followed that pattern. Lyndon Johnson's library is at University of Texas--Austin, and George H.W. Bush's is on the campus of Texas A&M University, in College Station.
As far as I know, none of the other presidents' libraries are as closely tied to universities. I thought I had heard that the Kennedy Library was somehow affiliated with Harvard, but their press office has confirmed to me that that is not the case. However, they sponsor the New Frontier Award, jointly with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
I'm reminded of the old saying: there are three ways to do anything: the right way, the wrong way, and the Texas way. For whatever reason, the Texas way is to site presidential libraries on college campuses.
Some time ago, I noted with interest that, while former members of Congress often stay in the Washington area, former presidents usually do not. I later realized that that was primarily because the former members of Congress often got jobs as lobbyists. I suppose such work would be considered unseemly for a former president.
Former presidents have either moved back to their home states, or migrated to places such as New York or Southern California.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Former Presidents 6: Baby Ruth
Continuing the story I left off here, Grover Cleveland joined a New York law firm after he first left the White House in 1889.
Then, in 1891, Cleveland, and his young wife Frances, did something that ended up giving them an odd sort of immortality. Their daughter, Ruth, was born. According to the some accounts, at least, that inspired a widely-misunderstood name of a candy bar. A website that markets the candy carries the following explanation:
Some, however, are skeptical. Either way, their family is still talked about, more than a century after Ruth's untimely death.
But, I digress.
In 1892, the parties set up a rematch between Cleveland and the Republican incumbent President Benjamin Harrison.
One aspect of that 1892 campaign that intrigues those of us in the Minnesota diaspora who are interested in political history, is that that year's Republican National Convention was the only one held in that state, until that party returned in 2008, and gathered in St. Paul. I wrote about that, here and here. Is it mere coincidence that both candidates nominated in the Gopher State, Harrison in 1892, and John McCain in 2008, lost the general election?
Tariffs were an issue in the 1892 campaign. At that time, the Democrats were the free-trade party, while the Republicans led the charge for protectionism. By now, that situation has largely been reversed. Congressional votes on international trade don't tend to fall exactly along party lines but, for the most part, the Republicans are now the free-trade party.
Advocates of an inflationary monetary policy, an issue that would get even more attention four years later, were fighting against supporters of the status quo, i.e., the gold standard. James Weaver ran a strong third-party campaign on the Populist ticket, largely on an anti-gold standard, a.k.a. free silver, platform.
Cleveland won a plurality of the popular vote, as he had in 1884 and 1888. But, unlike 1888, he also won an Electoral College majority in 1892. Cleveland took back his home state of New York, which Harrison had carried four years earlier.
Weaver won 22 electoral votes in some western states, but that was not enough to deadlock the Electoral College.
It was all downhill from there, for the once and future president. The so-called Panic of 1893 ushered in an economic depression. Apparently, the phenomenon of presidents getting too much credit for a good economy, and too much blame for economic problems, existed as much then as it does now. Unemployment was still in double digits at the time of the next presidential election, in 1896, and the Republicans, under William McKinley, took back the White House, which they would not relinquish until 16 years later.
Cleveland lived in retirement in New Jersey, until his death in 1908.
He is the only president to have served non-consecutive terms, and he set a record for consecutive popular-vote victories (three) that stood until Franklin Roosevelt won four consecutive popular and electoral vote majorities, between 1932 and 1944.
This website (and, if you see it on the Internet, it must be true) says that an Act of Congress settled the question of whether Cleveland would have two presidential numbers, i.e., that he would be called both the 22nd and 24th president.
Then, in 1891, Cleveland, and his young wife Frances, did something that ended up giving them an odd sort of immortality. Their daughter, Ruth, was born. According to the some accounts, at least, that inspired a widely-misunderstood name of a candy bar. A website that markets the candy carries the following explanation:
Introduced in the early 1920s by Curtiss Candy Company, Baby Ruth was said to be named after President Grover Cleveland's daughter, Ruth. At the time, the child was endearingly referred to as "Baby Ruth". The trademark was patterned after
the engraved lettering used on a medallion struck for the 1893 Chicago World's Colombian Exposition. The image pictured the President, his wife, and young daughter Baby Ruth.
Some, however, are skeptical. Either way, their family is still talked about, more than a century after Ruth's untimely death.
But, I digress.
In 1892, the parties set up a rematch between Cleveland and the Republican incumbent President Benjamin Harrison.
One aspect of that 1892 campaign that intrigues those of us in the Minnesota diaspora who are interested in political history, is that that year's Republican National Convention was the only one held in that state, until that party returned in 2008, and gathered in St. Paul. I wrote about that, here and here. Is it mere coincidence that both candidates nominated in the Gopher State, Harrison in 1892, and John McCain in 2008, lost the general election?
Tariffs were an issue in the 1892 campaign. At that time, the Democrats were the free-trade party, while the Republicans led the charge for protectionism. By now, that situation has largely been reversed. Congressional votes on international trade don't tend to fall exactly along party lines but, for the most part, the Republicans are now the free-trade party.
Advocates of an inflationary monetary policy, an issue that would get even more attention four years later, were fighting against supporters of the status quo, i.e., the gold standard. James Weaver ran a strong third-party campaign on the Populist ticket, largely on an anti-gold standard, a.k.a. free silver, platform.
Cleveland won a plurality of the popular vote, as he had in 1884 and 1888. But, unlike 1888, he also won an Electoral College majority in 1892. Cleveland took back his home state of New York, which Harrison had carried four years earlier.
Weaver won 22 electoral votes in some western states, but that was not enough to deadlock the Electoral College.
It was all downhill from there, for the once and future president. The so-called Panic of 1893 ushered in an economic depression. Apparently, the phenomenon of presidents getting too much credit for a good economy, and too much blame for economic problems, existed as much then as it does now. Unemployment was still in double digits at the time of the next presidential election, in 1896, and the Republicans, under William McKinley, took back the White House, which they would not relinquish until 16 years later.
Cleveland lived in retirement in New Jersey, until his death in 1908.
He is the only president to have served non-consecutive terms, and he set a record for consecutive popular-vote victories (three) that stood until Franklin Roosevelt won four consecutive popular and electoral vote majorities, between 1932 and 1944.
This website (and, if you see it on the Internet, it must be true) says that an Act of Congress settled the question of whether Cleveland would have two presidential numbers, i.e., that he would be called both the 22nd and 24th president.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Former Presidents 5: The Second Time Around
I'm not sure whether this fits the category I've established here and here, regarding former presidents who have again served in public office. What do you think?
In one case the public office in which a former president went on to serve was: president.
I'm referring to the only person to serve non-consecutive terms as president of the U.S.: Grover Cleveland.
Cleveland, a Democratic lawyer from Buffalo, New York, served as mayor of that city, and then, in 1882, was elected governor of New York. Two years later, his meteoric political rise continued, when he was elected president of the United States at the age of 47. He was, up to that time, the second youngest president (Ulysses Grant was the youngest) at first inauguration.
Cleveland's official White House biography gives a concise summary of his actions as president, some of which angered key constituencies.
However, when he ran for reelection in 1888, he won a plurality of the popular vote, and his lead over his opponent, in percentage terms, was slightly higher than in 1884. But in 1888, Cleveland's Republican opponent, Benjamin Harrison, won a majority in the Electoral College. Both elections were close:
1884:
Cleveland 48.85%, 219 electoral votes
Blaine 48.28%, 182 electoral votes
1888:
Harrison 47.80%, 233 electoral votes
Cleveland 48.63%, 168 electoral votes
If you want to know what a plurality of the popular vote is worth, just ask President Gore.
Harrison's gain in electoral votes over what his fellow Republican Blaine had received in 1884, was achieved in Harrison's home state of Indiana, which Cleveland had carried in 1884, and Cleveland's home state of New York. Cleveland had barely defeated Blaine in New York (48.25% to 48.15%) in 1884. Then, in 1888, Harrison carried New York by 49.28% to 48.19%. And New York at that time was the largest state, with 36 electoral votes.
Next: Cleveland makes a comeback.
In one case the public office in which a former president went on to serve was: president.
I'm referring to the only person to serve non-consecutive terms as president of the U.S.: Grover Cleveland.
Cleveland, a Democratic lawyer from Buffalo, New York, served as mayor of that city, and then, in 1882, was elected governor of New York. Two years later, his meteoric political rise continued, when he was elected president of the United States at the age of 47. He was, up to that time, the second youngest president (Ulysses Grant was the youngest) at first inauguration.
Cleveland's official White House biography gives a concise summary of his actions as president, some of which angered key constituencies.
However, when he ran for reelection in 1888, he won a plurality of the popular vote, and his lead over his opponent, in percentage terms, was slightly higher than in 1884. But in 1888, Cleveland's Republican opponent, Benjamin Harrison, won a majority in the Electoral College. Both elections were close:
1884:
Cleveland 48.85%, 219 electoral votes
Blaine 48.28%, 182 electoral votes
1888:
Harrison 47.80%, 233 electoral votes
Cleveland 48.63%, 168 electoral votes
If you want to know what a plurality of the popular vote is worth, just ask President Gore.
Harrison's gain in electoral votes over what his fellow Republican Blaine had received in 1884, was achieved in Harrison's home state of Indiana, which Cleveland had carried in 1884, and Cleveland's home state of New York. Cleveland had barely defeated Blaine in New York (48.25% to 48.15%) in 1884. Then, in 1888, Harrison carried New York by 49.28% to 48.19%. And New York at that time was the largest state, with 36 electoral votes.
Next: Cleveland makes a comeback.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Inauguration 1841: Fatal Speech?
William Henry Harrison set a record for being the oldest president at the time of his first inauguration. His age was 68, when he was inaugurated on March 4, 1841. That record held for 140 years, before it was broken by the 69-year-old Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Many of the early inaugurations were held indoors, in either the House or Senate chamber. But, by 1841, the custom of having the event outdoors on the Capitol grounds had taken hold.
Accounts of Harrison's inauguration differ on some details. However, two things seem certain: 1) the day was wet and cold, and 2) his inaugural address was the longest in history. Various sources have it anywhere from 1 3/4 hours to more than two hours.
The big question is: Did Harrison's fatal illness result from exposure to the elements on his inauguration day? He died of pneumonia after one month in office.
His Wikipedia entry, as currently written, argues that his symptoms first appeared more than three weeks later, so it seems doubtful that he contracted the disease on March 4. Other accounts, such as this one, support the traditional story that he did contract the disease on the day he was sworn into office.
The tale of the fatal inaugural address makes for good storytelling. But we'll probably never know for sure.
Many of the early inaugurations were held indoors, in either the House or Senate chamber. But, by 1841, the custom of having the event outdoors on the Capitol grounds had taken hold.
Accounts of Harrison's inauguration differ on some details. However, two things seem certain: 1) the day was wet and cold, and 2) his inaugural address was the longest in history. Various sources have it anywhere from 1 3/4 hours to more than two hours.
The big question is: Did Harrison's fatal illness result from exposure to the elements on his inauguration day? He died of pneumonia after one month in office.
His Wikipedia entry, as currently written, argues that his symptoms first appeared more than three weeks later, so it seems doubtful that he contracted the disease on March 4. Other accounts, such as this one, support the traditional story that he did contract the disease on the day he was sworn into office.
The tale of the fatal inaugural address makes for good storytelling. But we'll probably never know for sure.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Oath of Office
Much has been said about how (relatively) young Barack Obama is. I wrote here about the emotional impact of that on those of us who are baby boomers (and, of course, with our generation, it's all about us).
But it just occurred to me that Chief Justice John Roberts, who will administer the presidential oath for his first time, next week, is also relatively young. According to this online biography, Roberts is the youngest chief since John Marshall.
So, with what is perhaps one of the most trivial of my presidential trivia items, I will examine the combined ages of presidents (at their first inauguration) and those who administered the oath of office to them.
The Constitution prescribes the language of the presidential oath (Article 2, Section 1, clause 8), but says nothing about who should administer the oath. It has become customary for the chief justice to perform that role. The Library of Congress provides a summary of presidential inaugurations, including the identity of the person administering the oath.
The chief justice has given the oath at every regularly-scheduled inauguration since 1797. That could not have been the case at the first inauguration in 1789, because the office did not yet exist. At George Washington's second inauguration in 1793, the oath was administered by an associate justice, William Cushing. My research came up empty as to why Chief Justice John Jay did not do so.
When presidents have died in office, it has not always been feasible to have the chief justice swear in the new president. That led to the only occasion on which a woman administered the oath. After John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, there was a consensus that Kennedy's vice president, Lyndon Johnson, should take the oath before flying back to Washington. Judge Sarah Hughes gave him the oath, aboard the presidential plane, on the tarmac at Love Field.
Getting back to the age question: adding the ages of the 47-year-old Obama, and the 53-year-old Roberts, produces a sum of 100. That is the third youngest combined age of oath-giver and oath-taking-president in history. And it is the youngest such combination that includes a chief justice.
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president; he was the 42-year-old vice president, when William McKinley was assassinated in 1901. McKinley was shot in Buffalo, New York, and he remained there until his death. Roosevelt took the oath in Buffalo, from John R. Hazel, a 40-year-old federal judge. Their combined age of 82 makes them easily the youngest such pair in history.
The second youngest combined age was that of the George Washington, then 57, and Robert Livingston, whose title was chancellor of New York, which was a judicial position. Livingston was 42, so their combined age was just a bit younger than that of Obama and Roberts.
At the other end of the scale, the oldest pairing was that of President James Buchanan and Chief Justice Roger Taney, in 1857. Taney is infamous in American history as the author of the Supreme Court's opinion in the 1857 case of Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Court decided that an African American slave who had been brought into free states could not sue for his freedom, because he was not a citizen. That outcome was one of the actions around that time that soon led to the Civil War.
Taney was chief justice for 28 years, from 1836 to 1864. At the time of the 1857 inauguration, he was 79 years old, and Buchanan was 65. Four years later, Taney participated in his last inauguration; 83 years old in 1861 when he swore Abraham Lincoln into office, he was the oldest person ever to administer the oath.
A close second are Ronald Reagan, the oldest president, and Chief Justice Warren Burger. In 1981, when Reagan was first inaugurated, he was 69, and Burger was 73.
But it just occurred to me that Chief Justice John Roberts, who will administer the presidential oath for his first time, next week, is also relatively young. According to this online biography, Roberts is the youngest chief since John Marshall.
So, with what is perhaps one of the most trivial of my presidential trivia items, I will examine the combined ages of presidents (at their first inauguration) and those who administered the oath of office to them.
The Constitution prescribes the language of the presidential oath (Article 2, Section 1, clause 8), but says nothing about who should administer the oath. It has become customary for the chief justice to perform that role. The Library of Congress provides a summary of presidential inaugurations, including the identity of the person administering the oath.
The chief justice has given the oath at every regularly-scheduled inauguration since 1797. That could not have been the case at the first inauguration in 1789, because the office did not yet exist. At George Washington's second inauguration in 1793, the oath was administered by an associate justice, William Cushing. My research came up empty as to why Chief Justice John Jay did not do so.
When presidents have died in office, it has not always been feasible to have the chief justice swear in the new president. That led to the only occasion on which a woman administered the oath. After John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963, there was a consensus that Kennedy's vice president, Lyndon Johnson, should take the oath before flying back to Washington. Judge Sarah Hughes gave him the oath, aboard the presidential plane, on the tarmac at Love Field.
Getting back to the age question: adding the ages of the 47-year-old Obama, and the 53-year-old Roberts, produces a sum of 100. That is the third youngest combined age of oath-giver and oath-taking-president in history. And it is the youngest such combination that includes a chief justice.
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president; he was the 42-year-old vice president, when William McKinley was assassinated in 1901. McKinley was shot in Buffalo, New York, and he remained there until his death. Roosevelt took the oath in Buffalo, from John R. Hazel, a 40-year-old federal judge. Their combined age of 82 makes them easily the youngest such pair in history.
The second youngest combined age was that of the George Washington, then 57, and Robert Livingston, whose title was chancellor of New York, which was a judicial position. Livingston was 42, so their combined age was just a bit younger than that of Obama and Roberts.
At the other end of the scale, the oldest pairing was that of President James Buchanan and Chief Justice Roger Taney, in 1857. Taney is infamous in American history as the author of the Supreme Court's opinion in the 1857 case of Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Court decided that an African American slave who had been brought into free states could not sue for his freedom, because he was not a citizen. That outcome was one of the actions around that time that soon led to the Civil War.
Taney was chief justice for 28 years, from 1836 to 1864. At the time of the 1857 inauguration, he was 79 years old, and Buchanan was 65. Four years later, Taney participated in his last inauguration; 83 years old in 1861 when he swore Abraham Lincoln into office, he was the oldest person ever to administer the oath.
A close second are Ronald Reagan, the oldest president, and Chief Justice Warren Burger. In 1981, when Reagan was first inaugurated, he was 69, and Burger was 73.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Former Presidents 4: Here Comes The Judge
As I mentioned here, three presidents had significant service in public office after leaving the White House.
The second such president was William Howard Taft. He was the only person to head up both the executive and judicial branches of the federal government.
Taft was unusual in that he was one of three 20th century presidents who had never been elected to any public office before becoming president. However, as was the case with the other two such presidents, Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower, Taft was appointed to high-ranking government jobs. He was a prosecutor, solicitor general, judge, governor-general of the Philippines, and secretary of war.
When Theodore Roosevelt declined to run for a second full term in 1908, he anointed Taft as his successor, and Taft easily won that year's presidential election. But he had a difficult term. Perhaps it was his lack of experience in elected office that left him as a bit of a fish out of water in the presidency.
In 1912, largely due to Roosevelt's comeback attempt, Taft suffered the indignity of being the only presidential nominee in the history of the Republican Party to finish in third place in a general election.
During the next few years, Taft taught at his alma mater, Yale, and did extensive writing.
By 1921, Taft's Republican Party was back in control of the White House and the Congress. When Chief Justice Edward White died in 1921, President Warren Harding appointed Taft to be chief justice of the United States. Taft continued in that role until he retired, shortly before his death in 1930.
Here is a brief overview of the Taft Court, from the Supreme Court Historical Society.
Taft's judicial legacy largely involves procedural and organizational reforms. Perhaps the most significant of those reforms was legislation for which he advocated, by which Congress gave the Supreme Court the right to decide which appeals it would and would not consider. Under the new system, still in use today, a party that wants to appeal its case to the Supreme Court must petition for a writ of certiorari, which is legalese for a decision on the part of the court to hear the appeal. Previously, the court was obligated to hear every appeal brought to it; as the country grew, the caseload became more unwieldy.
Taft also successfully pushed for the Supreme Court to get its own building. Previously, it had met in the Capitol, and the justices had done most of their work in their individual homes. The decision to build the new structure was made while Taft was chief justice, with strong lobbying on his part; but it was constructed after his death, and was completed in 1935.
The second such president was William Howard Taft. He was the only person to head up both the executive and judicial branches of the federal government.
Taft was unusual in that he was one of three 20th century presidents who had never been elected to any public office before becoming president. However, as was the case with the other two such presidents, Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower, Taft was appointed to high-ranking government jobs. He was a prosecutor, solicitor general, judge, governor-general of the Philippines, and secretary of war.
When Theodore Roosevelt declined to run for a second full term in 1908, he anointed Taft as his successor, and Taft easily won that year's presidential election. But he had a difficult term. Perhaps it was his lack of experience in elected office that left him as a bit of a fish out of water in the presidency.
In 1912, largely due to Roosevelt's comeback attempt, Taft suffered the indignity of being the only presidential nominee in the history of the Republican Party to finish in third place in a general election.
During the next few years, Taft taught at his alma mater, Yale, and did extensive writing.
By 1921, Taft's Republican Party was back in control of the White House and the Congress. When Chief Justice Edward White died in 1921, President Warren Harding appointed Taft to be chief justice of the United States. Taft continued in that role until he retired, shortly before his death in 1930.
Here is a brief overview of the Taft Court, from the Supreme Court Historical Society.
Taft's judicial legacy largely involves procedural and organizational reforms. Perhaps the most significant of those reforms was legislation for which he advocated, by which Congress gave the Supreme Court the right to decide which appeals it would and would not consider. Under the new system, still in use today, a party that wants to appeal its case to the Supreme Court must petition for a writ of certiorari, which is legalese for a decision on the part of the court to hear the appeal. Previously, the court was obligated to hear every appeal brought to it; as the country grew, the caseload became more unwieldy.
Taft also successfully pushed for the Supreme Court to get its own building. Previously, it had met in the Capitol, and the justices had done most of their work in their individual homes. The decision to build the new structure was made while Taft was chief justice, with strong lobbying on his part; but it was constructed after his death, and was completed in 1935.
Presidential Trivia Question: Air Force One
As Barack Obama's inauguration approaches, the news media are paying attention to certain aspects of the presidency, such as the inner workings of the White House, and the president's Secret Service protection. This article in the January National Geographic is one example.
One part of the presidential infrastructure that tends to fascinate those of us who pay close attention to the presidency, even more than the White House itself, is Air Force One. One of my favorite presidential trivia questions involves that subject.
As you may know, "Air Force One" is not the name of an airplane. Rather, it is a radio call sign that the Air Force uses with air traffic control to designate any of its aircraft on which the president is a passenger.
The Air Force maintains two 747 aircraft for presidential use. This page on the Air Force's website gives more details.
When either of those plane flies without the president on board, it is simply called "28000" or "29000", even though it's the same plane that, under other circumstances, is called "Air Force One".
OK, all of that sets up the question: What were the circumstances of the only flight of a plane that was Air Force One when it took off, but was not Air Force One when it landed?
One part of the presidential infrastructure that tends to fascinate those of us who pay close attention to the presidency, even more than the White House itself, is Air Force One. One of my favorite presidential trivia questions involves that subject.
As you may know, "Air Force One" is not the name of an airplane. Rather, it is a radio call sign that the Air Force uses with air traffic control to designate any of its aircraft on which the president is a passenger.
The Air Force maintains two 747 aircraft for presidential use. This page on the Air Force's website gives more details.
When either of those plane flies without the president on board, it is simply called "28000" or "29000", even though it's the same plane that, under other circumstances, is called "Air Force One".
OK, all of that sets up the question: What were the circumstances of the only flight of a plane that was Air Force One when it took off, but was not Air Force One when it landed?
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Democratic Majority
No, I don't mean the Democratic majority in the Congress.
When I took another look at photos of the meeting of The Club of presidents at the White House yesterday, something occurred to me. After Obama's inauguration, a majority of them will be Democrats. The Club will have five members: Democrats Obama, Carter and Clinton, and the two George Bushes, both, of course, Republican.
That has not been true since Harry Truman's death on December 26, 1972. From March 28, 1969 (Dwight Eisenhower's death) to December 26, 1972, The Club consisted of Democrats Truman and Lyndon Johnson, and one Republican, the then-incumbent President Richard Nixon.
There was also a Democratic majority after Herbert Hoover's death on October 20, 1964, until January 20, 1969, when Nixon was first inaugurated. The Club's members during that period were Democrats Johnson and Truman, and Eisenhower, a Republican.
We have to go back a century to find the last previous such period. Some of the pre-Civil War Democrats died during the 1860s, including Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce. By 1869, The Club was split between Democrat Millard Fillmore and the Republican incumbent Ulysses Grant. (I'm leaving Andrew Johnson out of this analysis, because he's difficult to classify.) Not until 1964 was there another Democratic majority.
As I noted earlier, these data are tracked on Wikipedia.
This is mainly attributable to the fact that, during the period that the two-party system as we currently know it has existed, i.e., since the 1856 election, there have been twice as many Republican presidents as Democrats (again, excluding Andrew Johnson).
Up to and including George W. Bush, there have been 18 Republican presidents during that period, and only 9 Democrats. However, those Democrats have been in office for an average of 6.7 years, while the Republicans averaged only 4.9 years. In terms of years, it's about a 60/40 split between Republican and Democratic presidents, respectively.
When I took another look at photos of the meeting of The Club of presidents at the White House yesterday, something occurred to me. After Obama's inauguration, a majority of them will be Democrats. The Club will have five members: Democrats Obama, Carter and Clinton, and the two George Bushes, both, of course, Republican.
That has not been true since Harry Truman's death on December 26, 1972. From March 28, 1969 (Dwight Eisenhower's death) to December 26, 1972, The Club consisted of Democrats Truman and Lyndon Johnson, and one Republican, the then-incumbent President Richard Nixon.
There was also a Democratic majority after Herbert Hoover's death on October 20, 1964, until January 20, 1969, when Nixon was first inaugurated. The Club's members during that period were Democrats Johnson and Truman, and Eisenhower, a Republican.
We have to go back a century to find the last previous such period. Some of the pre-Civil War Democrats died during the 1860s, including Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce. By 1869, The Club was split between Democrat Millard Fillmore and the Republican incumbent Ulysses Grant. (I'm leaving Andrew Johnson out of this analysis, because he's difficult to classify.) Not until 1964 was there another Democratic majority.
As I noted earlier, these data are tracked on Wikipedia.
This is mainly attributable to the fact that, during the period that the two-party system as we currently know it has existed, i.e., since the 1856 election, there have been twice as many Republican presidents as Democrats (again, excluding Andrew Johnson).
Up to and including George W. Bush, there have been 18 Republican presidents during that period, and only 9 Democrats. However, those Democrats have been in office for an average of 6.7 years, while the Republicans averaged only 4.9 years. In terms of years, it's about a 60/40 split between Republican and Democratic presidents, respectively.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Former Presidents 3: Back to Work
I will discuss three former presidents who had significant service in public office after leaving the White House.
The first was John Quincy Adams. He served one term as president (1825-9) and reached the presidency in an odd way. Adams is one of only two presidents who were elected by the House of Representatives, because no candidate received an electoral college majority.
Andrew Jackson led in both popular votes and electoral votes in the 1824 election. However, his electoral votes were only 37.9% of the total. The House, pursuant to the 12th Amendment, voted among the top three candidates, and chose Adams.
The two-party system was in a state of flux at that time, in transition from the earlier Republican/Federalist two-party system, to one involving the Democratic and Whig parties. That's why the electoral vote was splintered in that manner.
Adams was not reelected in 1828. Jackson finally achieved the presidency in that election.
Before he became president, Adams had had a diplomatic career, culminating in his tenure as secretary of state in the Monroe Administration. He also had one term in the U.S. Senate. While his place in history is cemented by his having been president, albeit for only one term, Adams is more respected for his achievements in those other jobs. So, perhaps it's not surprising that he decided to return to non-presidential public service.
In 1830, Adams was elected to the House of Representatives. No other former president has ever done that. His Massachusetts constituents continued to reelect him until he died in office in 1848. In fact, he died in the Capitol building, having been moved to the Speaker's Room after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in the House chamber. The House website provides this information about Adams's time in the House.
A brief footnote: the only other former president to serve in Congress was Andrew Johnson. The Tennessee legislature elected him to the Senate in 1874, but he served less than five months, before he died on July 31, 1875. The main significance of that is that it briefly returned Johnson to the legislative body that had come within one vote of removing him from the presidency in the impeachment trial of 1868.
The first was John Quincy Adams. He served one term as president (1825-9) and reached the presidency in an odd way. Adams is one of only two presidents who were elected by the House of Representatives, because no candidate received an electoral college majority.
Andrew Jackson led in both popular votes and electoral votes in the 1824 election. However, his electoral votes were only 37.9% of the total. The House, pursuant to the 12th Amendment, voted among the top three candidates, and chose Adams.
The two-party system was in a state of flux at that time, in transition from the earlier Republican/Federalist two-party system, to one involving the Democratic and Whig parties. That's why the electoral vote was splintered in that manner.
Adams was not reelected in 1828. Jackson finally achieved the presidency in that election.
Before he became president, Adams had had a diplomatic career, culminating in his tenure as secretary of state in the Monroe Administration. He also had one term in the U.S. Senate. While his place in history is cemented by his having been president, albeit for only one term, Adams is more respected for his achievements in those other jobs. So, perhaps it's not surprising that he decided to return to non-presidential public service.
In 1830, Adams was elected to the House of Representatives. No other former president has ever done that. His Massachusetts constituents continued to reelect him until he died in office in 1848. In fact, he died in the Capitol building, having been moved to the Speaker's Room after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in the House chamber. The House website provides this information about Adams's time in the House.
A brief footnote: the only other former president to serve in Congress was Andrew Johnson. The Tennessee legislature elected him to the Senate in 1874, but he served less than five months, before he died on July 31, 1875. The main significance of that is that it briefly returned Johnson to the legislative body that had come within one vote of removing him from the presidency in the impeachment trial of 1868.
Former Presidents 2: What Do I Do Now?
What do you do when you're not president of the United States anymore?
In part, the answer depends on one's age.
The oldest president when leaving office was Ronald Reagan, who gave way to his successor George H.W. Bush on January 20, 1989, when he reached his term limit. Reagan, who was then nearing his 78th birthday, spent the following few years writing a book of memoirs, and engaging in limited public speaking. But after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, he lived more or less as an invalid for a period of over nine years, until his 2004 death.
By contrast, the youngest man to leave the presidency alive was Theodore Roosevelt. He was 50 years old when his presidency ended in 1909. I wrote here about his decision not to seek a second full term in 1908, and how he later regretted that decision. He spent a good portion of his time as ex-president attempting to return to the White House. He never achieved that goal; Roosevelt was touted as an early front-runner for the 1920 Republican nomination, but he died on January 6, 1919. While Roosevelt's time as ex-president was more active than Reagan's, the relatively young Roosevelt ironically did not live as long after leaving the White House as Reagan did.
The longest ex-presidency was that of Herbert Hoover. He was 58 years old when he left the White House in 1933, having failed to win reelection the year before. By the time he died in 1964, he had been a former president for more than 31 years. Hoover's reputation eventually recovered from its low point, when he was blamed for the Great Depression during the 1932 campaign. (However, the question of Hoover's culpability is still fiercely debated.) Over the years, he settled in to an elder statesman role. His most high-profile public assignments involved chairing two separate presidential commissions on government reorganization. One of those was appointed by Harry Truman, and the other by Dwight Eisenhower. Those commissions did not seem to have much effect, but those appointments signaled a degree of rehabilitation of Hoover's public standing.
Next: ex-presidents who held public office.
In part, the answer depends on one's age.
The oldest president when leaving office was Ronald Reagan, who gave way to his successor George H.W. Bush on January 20, 1989, when he reached his term limit. Reagan, who was then nearing his 78th birthday, spent the following few years writing a book of memoirs, and engaging in limited public speaking. But after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, he lived more or less as an invalid for a period of over nine years, until his 2004 death.
By contrast, the youngest man to leave the presidency alive was Theodore Roosevelt. He was 50 years old when his presidency ended in 1909. I wrote here about his decision not to seek a second full term in 1908, and how he later regretted that decision. He spent a good portion of his time as ex-president attempting to return to the White House. He never achieved that goal; Roosevelt was touted as an early front-runner for the 1920 Republican nomination, but he died on January 6, 1919. While Roosevelt's time as ex-president was more active than Reagan's, the relatively young Roosevelt ironically did not live as long after leaving the White House as Reagan did.
The longest ex-presidency was that of Herbert Hoover. He was 58 years old when he left the White House in 1933, having failed to win reelection the year before. By the time he died in 1964, he had been a former president for more than 31 years. Hoover's reputation eventually recovered from its low point, when he was blamed for the Great Depression during the 1932 campaign. (However, the question of Hoover's culpability is still fiercely debated.) Over the years, he settled in to an elder statesman role. His most high-profile public assignments involved chairing two separate presidential commissions on government reorganization. One of those was appointed by Harry Truman, and the other by Dwight Eisenhower. Those commissions did not seem to have much effect, but those appointments signaled a degree of rehabilitation of Hoover's public standing.
Next: ex-presidents who held public office.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Former Presidents
Barring unexpected developments, after Barack Obama is inaugurated later this month, there will be four living former presidents: Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
The number of presidents alive at any one time (including the incumbent and former presidents) is tracked on Wikipedia.
The highest number of former presidents alive at one time is five. The most recent period during which there were five living former presidents lasted from George W. Bush's first inauguration on January 20, 2001, to Ronald Reagan's death on June 5, 2004.
The number has generally been high in recent years. However, in 1973 and 1974, there was a period during which there were no living former presidents. That period began when Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973, and ended when Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. The number then consistently rose, until Nixon died on April 22, 1994.
Theoretically, with life expectancy having increased for the general population, the number of living presidents should stay above the historical average.
More to come, regarding former presidents, in future posts.
The number of presidents alive at any one time (including the incumbent and former presidents) is tracked on Wikipedia.
The highest number of former presidents alive at one time is five. The most recent period during which there were five living former presidents lasted from George W. Bush's first inauguration on January 20, 2001, to Ronald Reagan's death on June 5, 2004.
The number has generally been high in recent years. However, in 1973 and 1974, there was a period during which there were no living former presidents. That period began when Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973, and ended when Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. The number then consistently rose, until Nixon died on April 22, 1994.
Theoretically, with life expectancy having increased for the general population, the number of living presidents should stay above the historical average.
More to come, regarding former presidents, in future posts.
Friday, December 26, 2008
We All Have To Go Sometime
A bit of a downer during the Christmas season? Maybe. Today is one of three dates on the calendar that is the anniversary of the death of more than one president.
Harry Truman died on December 26, 1972. At the age of 88, he had fallen short of the record up to that time for presidential longevity. The record was then held by John Adams, who lived to the age of 90.
34 years to the day after Truman's death, Gerald Ford, who had just recently broken the presidential longevity record, died at the age of 93. The record had briefly been held by Ronald Reagan, who passed Adams in 2001, and then died at 93, in 2004.
Ford lived only 45 days longer than Reagan. Is it too far-fetched to think that Ford, who had been Reagan's political rival, having fought a bitter battle against him for the 1976 Republican presidential nomination, forced himself to hang on, until he had barely passed Reagan's mark?
One of the other dates is March 8. Millard Fillmore's 1874 death, and that of William Howard Taft, in 1930, were both on that date.
And what is the only date that is the anniversary of three presidential deaths? The Fourth of July, of course.
The latest of those three July 4 deaths was that of James Monroe, in 1831. But the other two form one of the great coincidences of American history.
Two members of the committee that was formed by the Continental Congress to draft the Declaration of Independence, in 1776, both died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. The aforementioned John Adams died in Massachusetts on July 4, 1826, supposedly declaring that "Thomas Jefferson survives." But, unbeknownst to Adams, Jefferson had died earlier that day, in Virginia.
Seeing them pictured next to each other in the painting shown above, drives home the historical significance of the coincidence. That painting of the presentation of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress, hangs in the U.S. Capitol building.
As with Reagan and Ford, Jefferson and Adams became bitter rivals. In their case, the rivalry came to a head in the 1800 general election for president, in which Jefferson prevailed. That nasty campaign has been cited by historians to counter suggestions that modern campaigns, including the one recently concluded, are fought at a lower level of civility than those of a supposed golden age of American politics, that only ever existed in some people's imaginations.
Harry Truman died on December 26, 1972. At the age of 88, he had fallen short of the record up to that time for presidential longevity. The record was then held by John Adams, who lived to the age of 90.
34 years to the day after Truman's death, Gerald Ford, who had just recently broken the presidential longevity record, died at the age of 93. The record had briefly been held by Ronald Reagan, who passed Adams in 2001, and then died at 93, in 2004.
Ford lived only 45 days longer than Reagan. Is it too far-fetched to think that Ford, who had been Reagan's political rival, having fought a bitter battle against him for the 1976 Republican presidential nomination, forced himself to hang on, until he had barely passed Reagan's mark?
One of the other dates is March 8. Millard Fillmore's 1874 death, and that of William Howard Taft, in 1930, were both on that date.
And what is the only date that is the anniversary of three presidential deaths? The Fourth of July, of course.
The latest of those three July 4 deaths was that of James Monroe, in 1831. But the other two form one of the great coincidences of American history.
Two members of the committee that was formed by the Continental Congress to draft the Declaration of Independence, in 1776, both died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. The aforementioned John Adams died in Massachusetts on July 4, 1826, supposedly declaring that "Thomas Jefferson survives." But, unbeknownst to Adams, Jefferson had died earlier that day, in Virginia.
Seeing them pictured next to each other in the painting shown above, drives home the historical significance of the coincidence. That painting of the presentation of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress, hangs in the U.S. Capitol building.
As with Reagan and Ford, Jefferson and Adams became bitter rivals. In their case, the rivalry came to a head in the 1800 general election for president, in which Jefferson prevailed. That nasty campaign has been cited by historians to counter suggestions that modern campaigns, including the one recently concluded, are fought at a lower level of civility than those of a supposed golden age of American politics, that only ever existed in some people's imaginations.
Jefferson and Adams later reconciled. During their last few years, they carried on a correspondence that has since been published.
Image: Architect of the Capitol
Monday, November 10, 2008
President from Illinois
OK, time's up on the trivia question I asked here. The only Illinois native to become president of the United States: Ronald Reagan.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Land Of Obama
Of course, the first president who came from Illinois was Abraham Lincoln.
Ulysses Grant briefly lived in Illinois before the Civil War.
But Lincoln was a Kentucky native, Grant was born in Ohio, and the latest Illinoisan to have been elected president, Barack Obama, is a native of Hawaii.
So, the trivia question is: who is the only U.S. president who was born in Illinois?
Ulysses Grant briefly lived in Illinois before the Civil War.
But Lincoln was a Kentucky native, Grant was born in Ohio, and the latest Illinoisan to have been elected president, Barack Obama, is a native of Hawaii.
So, the trivia question is: who is the only U.S. president who was born in Illinois?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Passage Of Time
Yesterday's presidential election marks a personal milestone for me, as it does for the vast majority of baby boomers.
13 former presidents were younger at their inauguration than I am now. But Barack Obama is the first person to be elected president, who was born after I was.
Oh, well.
13 former presidents were younger at their inauguration than I am now. But Barack Obama is the first person to be elected president, who was born after I was.
Oh, well.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Natal Trivia
Today is the birthday of the first U.S. president who was born in a hospital. Who is he?
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