The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1889-01-26
HOW OUR PRESIDENTS WERE EDU.
GATED.

| to the elementary English branches and the
higher mathematics, of which he was very
fond He was not especially studious but ex-
celled in feats of agility and strength, and was
fond of military exercises. He followed the
calling of surveyor from sixteen until nine
teen when he entered the military service.
John Adams enjoyed the best facilities of his
day for education, graduating from Harvard
College at nineteen. He then engaged in
teaching, and at the same time studied law.
He was admitted to the bar at twenty-three,
and his success was soon made certain by the
signal ability which he displayed.
Thomas Jefferson entered an elementary
school at five years of age, and began the study
of Latin, Greek and French at nine. Atseven-
teen he entered William and Mary College,
where he remained two years only. After
leaving college, he studied law, and was admit
ted to the bar at twenty four
James Madison's early life was constant
struggle with ill health which seriously inter
fered with his desire to gain an education. He
nevertheless graduated from Princeton College
at twenty-one, after which he studied law
He was devoted to mental improvement, was
thorough Bible student, and of religious turn
of mind
James Monroe entered William and Mary
College at sixteen, but left it at eighteen, to
join the Continental army, where he soon rose
to the rank of colonel. Leaving the army, he
studied law, and was elected to the Legislature
when only twenty-three years of age.
John Quincy Adams education was conduct
ed in good measure abroad, during his fathers
residence in Paris, Leyden, Amsterdam, and
private secretary to the United States Minister to
Russia. Returning home, he graduated from
Harvard College at twenty-one He then stud
led law and practiced it in Boston.
Andrew Jackson studied literature and the
dead languages at Waxhaw Academy. At
eighteen he abandoned the idea of entering
the ministry, for which he was intended by his
mother, and studied law. He was admitted to
the bar at nineteen, and chosen representative
to Congress at twenty-nine
Martin Van Buren, received good academic
education, and early showed great mental vigor
| and quicknesS of comprehension. He was es-
| pecially fond of composition and public speak
| ing. He began the study of law at fourteen,
and was admitted to the bar at twenty-one.
| William Henry Harrison was educated at
| Hampden Sidney College, and afterwards be-
| gan the study of medicine. He was diverted
| from this to Join the army, serving against the
| savages on the western frontier.
John Tyler was brilliant student, and grad
uated at William and Mary College at seven
| teen, with the reputation of having delivered
| the best commencement Grafton ever heard by
| the faculty. He then read law and began to
practice it at nineteen, meeting with unusual
| success
James K Polk, though reared on back
| woods farm, at an early age manifested decided
| literary tastes. His father desired him to be
merchant, but finally consented to his entering
the University of North Carolina, from which
he graduated with the highest honors at twen-
ty-three. Hethen studied law, and began prac-
| tice at Columbia.
Zachary Taylor's boyhood was spent in a
Wilderness surrounded by hostile Indians, and
with decidedly limited educational advantages.
| He early entered the army, and was cOmmls-
stoned lieutenant at twenty-four.
Millard Fillmores father was poor farmer
| unable to educate him. At fourteen he was
apprenticed to clothier, but found time to
crafty his thirst for knowledge by spending
| his evenings in reading and study. His studi-
GUS habits attracted the attention OF neighbor-
ing lawyer, who assisted him to study law and
| general literature. At twenty-three he was
admitted to the bar and rose rapidly to distinc-
ton.
| Franklin Pierce graduated at Bowdoin Col
| lege at sixteen, being classmate of Hawthorne.
| He was tolerable scholar only. After leaving
| college he studied law and was soon sent 10
| the legislature
James Buchanan graduated from Dickinson
| College at eighteen. He was good student,
but fell into bad company, and narrowly es,,
capped expulsion. His tastes were for logic and
metaphysics. He then studied law, and was
admitted to the bar at twenty-one.
! Abraham Lincoln had but little schooling
| and that of the poorest quality. He gained
most of his education by his own efforts, read
| ing and studying during his spare moments -
| It was not until after serving as Captain in the
|
veyor for several years, and serving one term
| in the legislature, that he studied law, and
was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-five
Andrew Jackson received no schooling, but
| was apprenticed to a tailor when he was ten
| wears Of age He was able to read a little, but
did not learn to write and cipher until after his
marriage, when he was taught by his wife. In
spite of these disadvantages, he early served as
Mayor OF Greenville n. c., and at twenty
| seven was elected to a seat in the legislature
| ro1,tu Q0 from
| academy at West Point, at twenty-one years of
| age ranking twenty-first in a class of thirty
nine He never displayed any brilliancy of
intellect but was gifted in high degree with
| the genius of accomplishment.
Rutherford B. Hayes was educated in the
| common schools in an academy at Norwalk,
| Ohio, a preparatory at Middletown, Conn.,, and
at Kenyon College which he entered at six.
| teen. He excelled in logic, mental and moral
| philosophy, mathematics and debating. He
was assigned the valedictory Grafton in gradu-
ating. He entered the law school at Harvard,
| and was graduated and admitted to the bar in
1S45, at twenty-three years of age,
James A. Garfield was educated III the COM
| mon schools at the Western Reserve at Geauga
| Academy and Hiram Eclectic Institute in
Ohio, and at Williams College from which he
graduated at the age oftwenty-five.. He taught
| school before and during his attendance at col
lege and after his graduation became principal
of the school at Hiram. He often preached
from the Disciples pulpits and lectured on va
rious subjects He was elected to the State
Senate at twenty-nine. During his legislative
career he studied law, and was admitted to the
bar at thirty.
Chester Alan Arthur was fitted for college by
his father He entered Union College at fif-
teen, and took maximum honors'' every
wear. During the winters he earned money to
help support himself by teaching school, He
then studied law. and was admitted to the bar
at twenty-three years of age.
Grover Cleveland was educated at prepara-
tory school, with the intention of entering
college. but this plan was rendered impossible
by the death of his father. He then studied
law at Buffalo. and was admitted to the bar at
twenty-five.
Of the twenty-five Presidents, eleven receiv-
ed collegiate education, although not all took
the complete course. All but five of the num-
Der were lawyers. Ten were soldiers at some
portion of their lives, and the majority of these
gained the reputation which made them Presi-