21. Chester A. Arthur

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“Elegant Arthur”

Presidential Basics

  • Full name: Chester Alan Arthur
  • Years in office: 1881–1885
  • Political party: Republican
  • Vice president: None (following Garfield’s assassination)
  • Age at inauguration: 50
  • Nicknames: “Elegant Arthur,” “The Gentleman Boss,” “Our Chet,” “Prince Arthur”

Random Trivia

  • Log Cabin Bond: Arthur is our last president born in a log cabin.

Birth & Death

  • Birthday: October 5, 1830
  • Birthplace: Fairfield, Vermont
  • Death: November 18, 1886
  • Place of death: New York City, New York
  • Place of burial: Rural Cemetery – Albany, New York
  • Last words: Unknown

Family

  • Father: William Arthur (1796–1875); Baptist Minister
  • Mother: Malvina Stone Arthur (1802–1869)
  • Wife: Ellen Lewis Herndon (1837 – 1880)
  • Marriage: October 25, 1859 in New York
  • Kids: Three
    • William Lewis Herndon (1860–1863)
    • Chester Alan, Jr. (1864–1937)
    • Ellen (1871–1915)
  • Home: New York City, New York

Other Facts

  • Height: 6’2″
  • Eye color: Brown
  • Ancestry: Scotch-Irish, English
  • Religion: Episcopalian
  • Born in a log cabin: Yes
  • Owned enslaved people: No
  • Freemason: No

Education

  • Early education: Public schools
  • College degree: Yes
  • College: Union College (graduated with B.A. 1848)

Career

  • Military Service: No
  • Lawyer: Yes
  • School Teacher in Vermont (1851–1853)
  • Lawyer (1853–)
  • Quartermaster General of New York State (1861–1865)
  • Collector of the Port of New York (1871–1878)
  • Vice President: Garfield administration (1881)
  • President (1881–1885)

Writings

  • Papers

Election

  • Chester A. Arthur was never elected president.

Campaign Poster

Our Nation’s Choice, lithograph by Haasis & Lubrecht, c. 1880 (Library of Congress)

Links

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