Rachel Browning’s Legal Blog

As a history buff and indie-rock fan, I recently listened with great intrigue to a segment of NPR’s All Things Considered (yes, I’m also a nerd), in which the show featured three singer-songwriters who have compiled a set of 42 songs in honor of our 43 past presidents.  The collection, entitled Of Great and Mortal Men, features songs spanning three CDs and more than 220 years of American history.  The writers point out that while some of our first 43 presidents have become larger-than-life figures, others have been all but forgotten.  (Remember Millard Filmore, Rutherford B. Hayes, or Chester Arthur - anyone?)   But songwriters Christian Kiefer, Jefferson Pitcher and Matthew Gerken, with the help of other indie rock artists have attempted to enlighten us as to the lives and quirks of all the men who have held this distinguished office.  Samples of the music can be found here. 

Listening to the NPR segment and considering the upcoming election and its particular historic significance (not to mention the historic significance of the entire primary season) led me to think about our past presidents, and I’ve uncovered some interesting presidential trivia that I thought I would share (not only am I a nerd, I wear my nerdy-ness on my sleeve).

For example:

·         The president to occupy the office for the shortest amount of time was William Henry Harrison (just 32 days).  He was also the first president to die in office – it was 1841 – and he still holds the record for having given the longest inaugural address on a cold, wet day in Washington D.C., which led many to speculate that his death from pneumonia four weeks later was triggered by his long-windedness on inauguration day!

·         Four presidents who died in office were assassinated.  Everyone knows about Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, of course, but can you name the other two?  You get major points if you named James A. Garfield (d. 1881) and William McKinley (d. 1901).  Incidentally, Pres. Garfield held the office for the second-shortest period of time – 6 months. 

·         After Pres. McKinley was assassinated, Theodore Roosevelt took office, making him the youngest person to become president at age 42.  The youngest elected, as many probably know was John F. Kennedy (age 43).

·         O.K., enough about death.  Here’s a good one:  the only president to ever get stuck in a bathtub was William H. Taft (he was pretty big I guess). He was also the only president to later serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which was apparently the real job he’d wanted all along.

·         Ever notice that we’ve elected a different president 43 times, but only 42 men have actually held the office? (How nerdy are you?) That’s because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms, holding the office as both our 22^nd and 24^th president.

O.K., I’ll give it a rest now.  These little morsels of invaluable information should render you armed and ready for that next round of Trivial Pursuit.  (You’re welcome.)  No matter who gets elected this year, that person will make history, not just because of their personal attributes – John McCain’s age, or Barack Obama’s race – but perhaps because of our country’s unprecedented level of engagement in the process this year.  Much is at stake: the economy, foreign policy, immigration, health care, social security.  If you care about these issues – or care about other people who care about these issues and are affected by them – then it’s your duty to stay engaged and vote!  And as s always, thanks for reading!