We had three presidents in one year. This happened twice.
The second time this occurred was when Chester Arthur became the third president to serve. He was inaugurated on September 20, 1881. And that made three.
It all started in 1881 when Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was in office. Hayes was a one-termer. He turned over the presidency to James A. Garfield in March of that year. They were close friends, by the way, Hayes and Garfield.
Then, the tragedy happened. Garfield was only four months into his term when he was shot on July 2. The assassin, Charles Guiteau, had a bone to pick with Garfield. He claimed Garfield refused to give Guiteau a political appointment. So he shot him. Just like that.
Garfield didn’t die right away. He had wounds to his back and abdomen. He fought it all summer long, and after a few months, it looked like he might pull through. But nope. He died on September 19. His autopsy revealed that the bullet wound, deep inside, contributed to an aneurysm. And that is what eventually caused his death.
The next day, bright and early, Vice President Chester Arthur was sworn in as president.
Here’s another little thing about all of this. Garfield’s assassin, Guiteau, wrote a letter to the new President Arthur. Guiteau told Arthur he was the reason Arthur got into the White House.
The first president of the year, Rutherford Hayes, didn’t care much for Chester Arthur. He cited that Arthur’s administration was best known for “liquor, snobbery, and worse.”
I suppose a lot of people agreed. Arthur only served only one term, from 1881 to 1885.
As mentioned, this was the second time in American history that we had three presidents in one year. The first time happened in 1841 when Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler all held the office under similar circumstances.
Here are their rankings as presidents.
Martin Van Buren — 24
William Henry Harrison — 39
John Tyler — 37
Rutherford B. Hayes — 27
James A. Garfield — 28
Chester Arthur — 33
I’m not sure if dying in office affects one’s ranking. But these guys, for the most part, hit the halfway mark in their success as presidents.
Washington, Lincoln, and FDRoosevelt take the top three spots in most analogies. And two of those guys died in office.
Regardless, being president is one tough job. Certainly, one of the most difficult jobs around.
Which brings me to this. We need smart, capable people to fill this position. Not people “you can have a beer with.” And not reality show hosts. Or narcissists. We need caring, good-hearted, brilliant people. Honest. Trustworthy.
It sure would be nice to have another George, Abe, or FDR.
If only. I bet everyone would gladly rewrite those rankings to accommodate such an arrival.
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“If wrinkles must be written on our brow, let them not be written on our heart. The spirit should never grow old.” ―James Garfield (1881)
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“It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn’t.” —Martin Van Buren (1837–1841)
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“Every expert was once a beginner.” ―Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881)
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Three in office times two.
