Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-18
FACTS ABOUT PRESIDENTS.
Their Names, Nicknames and Rela-
tions With the Alphabet.

4 party at the Republican Club were
talking about the Presidents.
One said IL was rather curious that no
presidential candidate and no President had
ever split his name in the middle. One vice
presidential candidate did so. And he was
named h. GratZ Brown.
This reminded another that in the long
list of Presidents there were only two In
stances in which names had been duplicated
John Adams and John Quincy Adams. and
William Henry Harrison and Benjamin
Harrison.
And in both instances they were of kim
said another.
But there We're two Presidents chimcd
in n veteran, who had the same Christian
name, and whose family names began with
the same letter. Andrew Jackson and An
drew Johnson.
The man who started the talk recalled
that there had been three Johns In the
White House. He mentioned the two
Adamses and Tyler.
But James was tie favorite Christian
name for Presidents" was the reply. You
may recall that we have had Madison,
Monroe. Polk. Buchanan and Garfield"
But there was only one George Let US
drink to his memory. lie WAS the first and
last
LAS there was but one George, there has
been but one Thomas. and as | am a sort
of democrat at times | propose cup 10
jefferson" said the eX-judGe in the group.
Have You overlooked the fact that we
had two Williams for Presidents" asked
the man who had recalled the five JamcScs.
There were William Henry Harrison aud
William Mckinley
THAT reminds me" quoth another. that
we had but two Presidents who signed both
Christian names. John Quincy Adams and
William Henry Harrison.
Eighteen of our Presidents had no mid
die Christian if they had they
never signed them Mr. Cleveland has a
middle name. but he eliminated it early IN
life" said the starter of the gabfest.
And we look at them, said another,
"all of our Presidents. save Mckinley and
Roosevelt. had English names
''YCu have forgotten that there one
with a Holland name-Van Buren,. | sup
pose some of you Dutchmen would claim
him." remarked member Of the Holland
Society.
How does the entire list stand. alpha
beticaly?" asked the curious man.
Il looked that up the other day" replied
the ready man. Twelve. letters of the al
phahet have not figured in the presidency.
They are D, E, l. X, n, o, ., S. L. y,
and T.
Maybe you can tell us right away which
letter has figured. you term II, oftenest?'
asked the man who had started this branch
of the talk
Sure" was the prompt reply. There
have been three AS. two G's. three lis,
three Us. three Ms, two Ps and two rs.
B, c. F. l.. r. and W have been repre-
scented once"
How many of our Presidents have had
nicknames"' asked a man who had come
In at that moment.
This required little exercise of the gray
matter, but the man who had made the al
phabet a study was to the fore after a brief
lull.
Il count ten" he said. I'VE had Old Abe.
Andy Jackson. Andy johnson. Ben Harri-
son, Zach Taylor. Old Buck Chef Arthur
and Teddy Roosevelt Some of these had
other nicknames. Jackson was known as
Old Hickory. the first Harrison was Tippe-
canoe. Lincoln was the Rail Splitter Taylor
was Old Rough and Ready and Roosevelt
is frequently called the Cowboy and the
Rough Rider
How many members of the cabinet ever
be came Presidents" asked the man who
ordered the last round
Six" was the prompt answer of the man
who had worked the alphabet. jefferson.
Madison. Monroe, j. @. Adams Van Buren,
and Buchanan. Each had been Secretary
of State. Monroe was Secretary of State
and afterward Secretary of War. both in
the administration of Madison
There was another cabinet officer who
became President" said the veteran You
forgot jeff Davis. He was Secretary Of
War in Pierce'S administration. We all
know of what he was president"
But nobody said anything. After they
had shaken up the bag once more an old
bunker said that Tyler'S administra ton
took the cake for Shlke-ups in the cabinet
He ran off the names of four Secretaries OF
State, four of the treasury five of war five
OF the navy and three Attorney Generals
The symposium might have been extended
had not a fire engine dashed by the clup
house just then and the round. table went
out to see where the fire was