James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1881, until his death by assassination six and a half months later. He is the only sitting member of the United States House of Representatives to be elected to the presidency.Garfield entered politics as a Republican in 1857. He served as a member of the Ohio State Senate from 1859 to 1861. After his first term, Garfield was hired to teach penmanship to the students of nearby Pownal, Vermont, a post previously held by Chester A. Arthur.Garfield graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams in August 1856 as salutatorian, giving an address at the commencement. In 1865, he was placed on the House Ways and Means Committee, a long-awaited opportunity to focus on financial and economic issues.