Education is the key to success

Had a nice con debate for this going, but seeing as pro has gone, I will just post the US presidents who didnt receive degrees.10. Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) Image Source 9. Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) Image Source 8. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) Image Source 7. James Monroe (1817-1825) Image Source Growing up in Virginia, James Monroe had an education that began at home, where his mother Elizabeth tutored him. When he was 11, he went to Campbelltown Academy, and here he shone at both mathematics and Latin. In 1774 he began studying at the College of William and Mary. There, Monroe became involved in revolutionary activities. He dropped out in 1775 and joined the Continental Army as an officer, never returning to attain his degree. In June of that year, following the battles of Lexington and Concord, Monroe and a group of older cohorts broke into the Governor’s Palace and stole 200 muskets and 300 swords. The weapons were given to the local militia. Then in 1780 – hoping that a legal education would influence his political career – Monroe began studying law under Thomas Jefferson. He succeeded in his efforts and on March 4, 1817 became the fifth President of the United States. 6. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) Image Source By the time he was 15, Andrew Jackson was both an orphan and a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. While still only a teenager, he had been held prisoner by the British and had suffered the loss of two brothers. Jackson had received a certain degree of education, but it was sporadic at best. He thus took his academic career and future into his own hands when he decided to study law in Salisbury, North Carolina. In 1787 Jackson managed to pass the bar and became a country lawyer. In 1788 he moved to the frontier town of Nashville, where he practiced law and quickly became involved in local politics. Jackson would become the state’s first congressman and later a senator. In 1801 Jackson was named commander of the Tennessee militia and led his forces to several heroic victories. His actions during the War of 1812 made him a national hero and earned him a gold medal and the Thanks of Congress. Sworn in on March 4, 1829, Jackson held office as the seventh president of the US until March 4, 1837. 5. Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 and 1893-1897) Image Source Grover Cleveland was born in Caldwell, New Jersey on March 18, 1837 and grew up in Fayetteville, New York. He attended school until he was 16 years old, when the death of his father forced him to drop out and contribute to supporting the family. Thanks to his brother William, he became an assistant teacher at the New York Institute for the Blind, but he only stayed in the position for a year. And although one of Cleveland’s church elders had offered to finance his college education on the condition that he become a minister, he chose to move out west instead. In Buffalo, Cleveland’s uncle employed him as a clerk and introduced him to a group of influential figures. He began working for law firm Rogers, Bowen, and Rogers, which paved the way for him to pass the bar exam in 1859. Not letting his lack of formal education hold him back, Cleveland went on to become the mayor of Buffalo and the governor of New York. He was elected president for two non-consecutive terms – 1885 to 1889 and 1893 to 1897. He remains the only president to have served two non-consecutive terms. 4. William Henry Harrison (1841) Image Source William Henry Harrison was born into a notable political family in Charles City, Virginia on February 9, 1773. Growing up in Virginia, he studied Latin and French at various academic institutions. Eventually he ended up in Philadelphia and in 1790 enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied medicine. Apparently, Harrison didn’t much care for the subject, though, so when his father died a year later and left him without any funds to continue his education, the 18-year-old Harrison decided to join the US Army. Harrison was in the army for seven years, after which he retired and set his sights on a political career, becoming the Indiana Territory’s governor in 1801. He became the ninth President of the United States on March 3, 1841. Unfortunately, Harrison is best known for having served the briefest term in US presidential history. He died of pneumonia and septicemia on April 4, 1841, just a month after his inauguration. 3. George Washington (1789-1797) Image Source George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland, Virginia. He spent his childhood in Virginia, where he was educated by several different tutors and also attended an Anglican clergyman-run school. When Washington was just 11 years old, his father died. This prevented the boy from furthering his education at Appleby School in England as planned. Explaining his rise to prominence, Washington said, “My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” Washington held office as the first president of the US from 1789 to 1797. And even though he himself never graduated, he considered education paramount and said, “A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?” 2. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) Image Source Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He received very little academic training during his formative years. By the time he came of age, his limited schooling from itinerant teachers amounted to an ability to “read, write and cipher.” Describing his childhood, he said, “It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up… Of course when I came of age I did not know much.” However, Lincoln was an ambitious learner and eagerly devoured any book he could get his hands on, including those on law. An autodidactic approach to legal studies, along with his dedication and hard work, enabled Lincoln to become a practicing lawyer. He spent eight years on the Illinois legislature and traveled courtroom to courtroom for years. Lincoln said he viewed education as “the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.” One of his law partners described his ambition as “a little engine that knew no rest.” Lincoln held presidential office from March 4, 1861 until his assassination on April 15, 1865. 1. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) Image Source