| Which University Claims The Most U.S. Presidents As Alumni?
1. Harvard University
Unsurprisingly, Harvard takes first place when it comes to which
university claims the most U.S. presidents as alumni. Harvard
University is the oldest school in the nation, founded in 1636 in
Cambridge, Massachusetts. In fact, the university has actually
existed longer than the presidential office itself.
Eight U.S. presidents went to Harvard, starting with John Adams,
followed by John Quincy Adams, both Roosevelts, and John F. Kennedy,
who received 6 undergraduate degrees from Harvard University. Barack
Obama, George Bush, and Rutherford Hayes attended Harvard Law and
Business schools.
Vice presidents Al Gore and Elbridge Gerry also attended Harvard
University.
2. Yale University
The runner up after Harvard is Yale University, claiming 5 U.S
presidents as alumni. Presidents that attended Yale University
include William Howard Taft, George H.W Bush, and George W. Bush for
his undergraduate studies, prior to attending Harvard University.
Both Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton attended Yale Law School as well.
First Lady Hilary Clinton also attended Yale University, which is
where she and Bill met for the first time.
South Carolina senator John C. Calhoun, who served for two terms
under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, was the earliest vice
president to graduate from Yale. For two decades straight from
1989-2009, at least one president earned at least one degree from
Yale University.
3. College Of William and Mary
College of William and Mary was founded in the 1600s and was
attended by three U.S. presidents: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe,
and John Tyler.
It is the second-oldest higher education institution in the U.S.,
and today is public, however when these three presidents attended it
was private. Although George Washington never completed a formal
degree, he was the first president to earn a surveyor’s certificate
from the College of William and Mary.
4. Princeton University
U.S. former presidents James Maddison and Woodrow Wilson attended
Princeton University.
Woodrow was in fact the only U.S. president to obtain a PhD degree
and was also the 13th president of Princeton University before being
elected as president of the United States. Woodrow also taught
politics and law at Princeton, where he earned his undergraduate
degree. Today, Princeton’s School of Public and International
Affairs is named after him.
John F. Kennedy also attended Princeton University for a short time
before transferring to Harvard. Several vice presidents attended
Princeton University, including Aaron Burr, George M. Dallas, and
John C. Breckinbridge.
5. United States Military Academy At West Point
Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower are the only 2 U.S.
presidents who attended the United States Military Academy At West
Point. They are also 2 of the most important military generals in
American history. Jimmy Carter also attended a military academy,
however, it was the U.S. Naval Academy.
Yale University, the runner up after Harvard, where 5 U.S Presidents
attended before they were elected.
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
6. Columbia University
Barack Obama was once believed to be the only U.S. president to have
graduated from Columbia University, as he completed his
undergraduate degree at Columbia.
However, in 2008, both Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt
were awarded with posthumus JDs from Columbia Law School,
technically making them the most recent presidential graduates of
Columbia University. They both attended law school at Columbia,
however they both withdrew before completing their degrees in the
1800s and 1900s.
Daniel Tompkins, the vice president who served under James Monroe
also attended Columbia University, and President Dwight Eisenhower
was also the president of Columbia for a few years.
7. Stanford University
Herbet Hoover attended Stanford University in 1891 when the school
was first founded, and may have even been the first student to
attend the school. Hoover earned a degree in geology, and did
humanitarian and mining work before becoming elected as president.
Today, there are many monuments in his honor on campus at Stanford
University. John F. Kennedy also attended Stanford Business School,
but withdrew prior to graduating.
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The 11th president of the United States, James K. Polk, was the only
president to have attended the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. He excelled greatly in his studies, and today some of
the campus is named after him. He is most famous for expanding the
size of the country.
9. Georgetown University
While most U.S presidents attended Harvard and Yale, there are a few
other schools that they went to, as well as vice presidents. Many
went to small private schools, such as Williams College, Amherst,
and Bowdoin. Georgetown is ninth in line when it comes to which
university claims the most U.S. presidents as alumni.
Bill Clinton attended Georgetown University for his undergraduate
degree, before continuing his studies at Yale Law School and Oxford.
Lyndon B. Johnson, the vice president who served under John F.
Kennedy, also attended Georgetown Law, but dropped out.
10. University Of Virginia
Not one U.S president graduated from the University of Virginia —
however, several were part of its founding. Thomas Jefferson was
responsible for the Charlottesville, Virginia school in 1819 after
completing 2 terms as president of the United States. Jefferson,
Madison and Monroe were also some of the first to serve on the board
of the University of Virginia.
Woodrow Wilson also attended the University of Virginia later on for
law school, but left without graduating. Former vice president and
U.S. senator Alben Barkley graduated from law school here in 1900.
How Many Presidents Went To Ivy League Schools?
There are 12 Ivy League schools in the United States that are
considered to be the best, but believe it or not, there are many
presidents that didn’t go to Ivy League schools. Of the 44 men who
served as president, only 16 of them graduated from Ivy League
schools, and only 32 of them graduated from college overall.
There are 9 presidents that never attended college whatsoever,
including George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren,
Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson,
Grover Cleveland, and Harry Truman.
Only around three-quarters of U.S. presidents attended college. In
fact, there are no educational requirements to become president. The
United States Constitution states that there are three requirements
in order to be eligible for presidency: that they are U.S. born,
have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years, and are over 35 years
old. There are no educational requirements.
Nonetheless, presidential alumni make for invaluable assets to
promote any university, and for any presidential hopeful, they will
surely want to follow in the footsteps of their great leaders.
When it comes to which university claims the most U.S. presidents as
alumni, Harvard University takes the gold medal, responsible for the
education of 8 different U.S. presidents.
https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/where-did-most-u-s-presidents-attend-college/
15 US Presidents & Vice Presidents Who Died in Office
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Sherrie Johnson
Writer
PUBLISHED ON: 6/19/2020
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The President of the United States is said to be one of the most
powerful people in the entire world! Every President not only serves
as the head of the nation but is also the Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces. As such, there’s a lot of pressure and responsibility
that weighs on the President’s shoulders.
Because of their position, there are strict rules and guidelines
that ensure the President can carry out his duties with full health
for the length of their term. However, there have been some
circumstances when the President began his term and was unable to
finish it, dying in office. When this happens, the Vice President
takes over Presidential duties. Out of the 45 Presidents to date,
eight died while in office.
Of the 48 Vice Presidents, seven died in office. The causes of
deaths include assassination, illness, and natural causes.
US Presidents That Died in Office
Since the Presidential Office was set up in 1789, 45 individuals
have filled in as President of the United States. Of the eight
presidents that died in office, four were killed and four passed
away from natural causes. On each of these occasions, the VP became
the Commander in Chief for the duration of the term.
If you’re on a fact-finding mission or heading to Washington D.C.
for a visit, you can find out where the US Presidents are buried and
visit each one.
1. William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was an American military officer and
government official who was elected to serve as the ninth President
of the United States in 1841.
On March 26, 1841, William Henry Harrison became sick with a cold
after his two-hour-long inaugural address in the rain and subsequent
meetings in wet, damp clothing. His health deteriorated over the
following days and specialists were brought in to treat him. He was
determined to have pneumonia.
Exactly thirty-two days after being sworn in, Harrison became the
first US president to die in office.
2. Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the twelfth president of the United States. On
July 4, 1850, Taylor attended numerous orations to commemorate the
laying of the Washington Monument foundation.
He ended the blisteringly hot day by drinking ice water, cold milk,
cherries, and other fruit. That night and the following days he fell
sick with an intestinal illness. Taylor died five days later on July
9. Over 100,000 people attended his funeral.
3. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln served during one of the most volatile periods of US
history. His death occurred on April 14, 1865, just as the Civil War
drew to an end. In a move that sent shockwaves through the entire
nation, John Wilkes Booth, a notable actor, shot President Lincoln
from behind while Lincoln and his wife were enjoying a play at
Ford’s Theater. Booth shot Lincoln once in the back of his head then
jumped from the balcony onto the stage and evaded capture for the
next seven days.
Lincoln’s wound was fatal and one of the most celebrated presidents
of all time died the next morning. Abraham Lincoln’s burial site
garners thousands of visits by tourists from all over the world
every year.
4. James A. Garfield
James Abram Garfield was the 20th president of the United States and
served from March 4, 1881, until his passing by assassination six
and a half months later. The second assassination of a US president,
James A. Garfield was shot while out for a walk in Washington, D.C.
on July 2, 1881, by Charles J. Guiteau.
He died eleven weeks later on September 19, 1881, of blood poisoning
and complications from the shooting. Vice President Chester A.
Arthur became the president after his passing.
5. William McKinley
William McKinley was the 25th president of the United States from
1897 until his assassination in 1901. He was shot on September 6,
1901, inside the Temple of Music on the grounds of the Pan-American
Exposition in Buffalo, New York.
Just as McKinley was warmly greeting the public, anarchist Leon
Czolgosz shot him point-blank in the chest. Though doctors predicted
a full recovery, McKinley died eight days later on September 14 from
gangrene brought about by the slug wounds.
6. Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th president of the United States
from 1921 until his demise in 1923. Surrounded by rumors of
corruption from friends who he appointed to office, he took a trip
to meet and greet the people of America.
During his return trip, he became sick with what was assumed to be
food poisoning. On August 2, he likely suffered a heart attack. His
wife was the last person to see him alive, which prompted
speculation that he had been poisoned by her to avoid charges of
corruption.
7. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an American legislator who filled in
as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his
demise in 1945. On March 29, 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt went to the
Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, to rest and recuperate
after the strain of running reelection campaigns.
While sitting for a portrait, he fell unconscious and died of a
cerebral hemorrhage. Vice President Harry Truman was sworn in to
carry out the duties of President the same day.
8. John F. Kennedy
The most recent US president to die in office was John F. Kennedy.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States
and served from January 1961 until his assassination in November
1963.
He was lethally shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, who fired three shots
from a 6th-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository at 12:30
p.m. as the presidential motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza. The
motorcade rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where Kennedy was
pronounced dead. JFK's gravesite draws tourists from around the
world and can be visited in Arlington National Cemetery.
» MORE: How do you host a virtual funeral? Start here
US Vice Presidents That Died in Office
The Vice President of the United States is the second-most
noteworthy official in the branch of the US government. After the
President, the VP is next in line for succession and
chain-of-command. The Vice President is chosen along with the
President for a four-year term of office and is ready to step in to
run the country if something were to happen to the President.
However, several times in US history, it was the VP, not the
President, that needed to be replaced.
1. George Clinton
George Clinton was an American officer and legislator, considered
one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
He filled in as the fourth Vice President of the United States,
first under Jefferson, from 1805 to 1809, and afterward under
President Madison from 1809 until his death from a cardiovascular
failure in 1812.
2. Elbridge Thomas Gerry
Elbridge Thomas Gerry was an American lawmaker and representative.
As a Democratic-Republican, he served as the fifth Vice President of
the United States under President James Madison.
On November 23, 1814, Gerry fell sick while visiting Joseph Nourse
of the Treasury Department and died not long in after returning
home. He is buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC,
with a commemoration by John Frazee.
3. William Rufus DeVane King
William Rufus DeVane King was an American legislator. He was the
thirteenth Vice President of the United States for about a month and
a half in 1853 preceding his death. Though part of the winning
presidential ticket, King left for Cuba with hopes of recovering
from tuberculosis. He was sworn in while overseas.
Realizing little would change regarding his continuing deteriorating
health, he returned to the United States and died one day after
arriving home in Alabama. He was buried in a vault on the ranch and
later reburied in Selma's Old Live Oak Cemetery.
4. Henry Wilson
Henry Wilson was the eighteenth Vice President of the United States
and a congressperson from Massachusetts. On May 19, 1873, he endured
a stroke which caused a loss of motion in his face and disabled
speech.
His primary care physician told him to rest, yet Wilson permitted
journalists to see him. On November 22, Wilson endured another
stroke while working at the Capitol. This time, it was lethal.
5. Thomas Andrews Hendricks
Thomas Andrews Hendricks was an American lawmaker and legal
counselor from Indiana who served as the 21st VP of the United
States.
After already declining health, Hendricks died November 25, 1885,
after a trip home to Indianapolis.
6. Garret Augustus Hobart
Garret Augustus Hobart served as the 24th Vice President of the
United States. During his time in office, he expanded the influence
and reach of his office.
After developing heart problems, he returned home to rest where he
died on November 21, 1899, at age 55.
7. James Schoolcraft Sherman
James Schoolcraft Sherman served under Howard Taft for one term
starting in 1908. He was diagnosed with Bright's infection in 1904
and his health deteriorated during the 1912 campaign. He died at
home in Utica, six days after his 57th birthday celebration and just
days before the next election.
Men of Influence
US history is full of amazing and hardworking Presidents and Vice
Presidents. It’s little wonder that monuments, statues, and their
famous gravesites are visited by people from around the world each
year.
Sources
Freidel, Frank and Sidey, Hugh. “The Presidents of the United States
of America,” Whitehouse Historical Association, 2006. whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/william-henry-harrison.
Holt, Michael. “U.S. Presidents.” U.S. Presidents, University of
Virginia, 2019. millercenter.org/president/
https://www.joincake.com/blog/presidents-who-died-in-office/
U.S. Vice-Presidents Who Died In Office Or Resigned
Seven vice-presidents have died in office since 1789, whilst another
two resigned.
The first vice-president to die in office was George Clinton, in
1812. The most recent was James Sherman, in 1912.
The first vice-president to resign was John C. Calhoun, in 1832. The
second was Spiro T. Agnew, in 1973. Calhoun had been elected to the
Senate, whilst Agnew resigned in the face of criminal charges.
No vice-president has ever been assassinated but nine left the
office due to becoming president following the assassination, death
or resignation of the president. They were: John Tyler, Millard
Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt,
Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson and Gerald Ford.
The office of vice-president has been vacant 19 times for a total of
37 years, 290 days since 1789, around 17% of the time (as of 2017).
The first vice-president, John Adams, was sworn in 48 days late, in
1789, as the new government took shape.
Until 1965, there was no provision to replace a vice-president who
died or resigned. The passage of the 25th Amendment to the
Constitution allowed the president to nominate a new vice-president
with the approval of the Senate.
Since the 25th Amendment came into force, it has been used twice to
replace a vice-president. In 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated
Gerald Ford as vice-president, following the resignation of Spiro
Agnew, who had pleaded no contest to corruption charges on condition
he resigned. Following Nixon’s 1974 resignation due to the Watergate
scandal, Ford became president and nominated Nelson Rockefeller as
vice-president.
The table below lists the vice-presidents who died in office or
resigned. It also shows the number of days the office of
vice-president was vacant as a consequence. It includes the two
vice-presidents who each served under two different presidents.
U.S. Vice-Presidents Who Died In Office Or Resigned No. Incumbent
Presidents Vice-Presidents Vice-President’s
Period in Office Vice-President’s Time in Office Reason Age Office
Vacant
1.Thomas Jefferson
James Madison George Clinton
04.03.1805 – 04.03.1809
04.03.1809 – 20.04.1812
7 years, 1 month, 16 days
Death
72
318 days
2.James Madison Elbridge Gerry
04.03.1813 – 23.11.1814
1 year, 8 months, 19 days
Death
70
832 days
3.John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson John C. Calhoun
04.03.1825 – 04.03.1829
04.03.1829 – 28.12.1832
7 years, 9 months, 24 days
Resignation
50
66 days
4.Franklin Pierce William Rufus DeVane King
04.03.1853 – 18.04.1853
1 month, 14 days
Death
67
1,416 days
5.Ulysses S. Grant Henry Wilson
04.03.1873 – 22.11.1875
2 years, 8 months, 18 days
Death
63
468 days
6.Grover Cleveland Thomas A. Hendricks
04.03.1885 – 25.11.1885
8 months, 21 days
Death
66
1,195 days
7.William McKinley Garret A. Hobart
04.03.1897 – 21.11.1899
2 years, 8 months, 17 days
Death
55
468 days
8.William Howard Taft James S. Sherman
04.03.1909 – 30.10.1912
3 years, 7 months, 26 days
Death
57
125 days
9.Richard M. Nixon Spiro T. Agnew
20.01.1969 – 10.10.1973
4 years, 7 months, 21 days
Resignation
54
57 days
https://australianpolitics.com/usa/president/vice-presidents-died-resigned
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