The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-16
Washington and Lincoln
Among Eight Executives
Who Did Not Have Aduan-
tage Of Higher Culture

Inc recurrence of another presi-
Dental campaign revives interest in
the men who have heretofore filed
the highest Office in the gift of the
american people. One of the cues
tons often asked concerning them is.
what kind Of an education did our
president have? How far does their
history confirm the common opinion
as to the value of a. college education
as conducive of success in life?
In the year 1887 President Cleve-
land made an address at Harvard
college celebration, In it, says a col
lege publication, "he recited the not
too familiar fact that but IL of his
II predecessors had the advantage of
college education" The presidents
ngures were not quite correct. He
did not give the college men fair
count, for the facts show that IA of
his predecessors went to college, al
though all did not graduate. Since
he made this statement, five men be-
sides himself have filled the presiden-
ftial chair, and all of these were col
lege-bred men, though one, Mckinley
did not graduate.
John Adams Honor Graduate.
What kind of students were the
presidents when in college? As far
as the facts can be ascertained. they
were much like their classmates
some of them diligent students, 9TH
ers not distinguished for scholarship.
To begin with the first on the list,
John Adams, stood high in college
and graduated with honor. His son.
John Quincy Adams, took the second
honor in his class, and his Grafton
on "The Importance OF Public Faitf,
to the Well-Being OF a Community
was printed because Of it's excellence
Jefferson, during the two years he
spent in college, occupied fine pc
sition as a Latin, Greek and mathe
NAUTICAL scholar"
Madison was one Of the most schol
arly of our presidents. He had the
advantage OF wealth and social pc
sition, and came forth from Princeton
zone of the best scholars of his time
Monroe Well Educated.
Monroe left college after two years
to join the revolutionary army. He
was said to have IAN education pretty
we'll up to the best standard of that
day. His literary foundation was
good. and he stood we'll up in the
class Of educated presidents"
The two democratic presidents
jackson and Van Buren,, interrupted
| the line Of collegians, but it was re
sumed with William Henry Harrison
i the hero OF Tippecanoe. He was 8
graduate Of Hampden-Sidney. small
Virginia college OF good standing. Al
least, he is SO recorded in the cata
log. though historians say he spent
but two years there.
After his death, John Tyler, anoth
er graduate of William and Mary. be
came president. He was graduated
with distinguished honor" but this
fact did not help him in his conflicts
with the Wings who elected him.
James X. Polk, the next incumbent
was graduate Of the University Of
North Carolina. He is said to have
been "a distinguished pupil At eacf
semiannual examination he took the
first honors, and he graduated with
the reputation Of being the bes,
scholar in mathematics and the elias
sizes in the institution. He was giver
the Latin grafton.
Taylor and fillmore, two more non
collegians, followed. Then came
Franklin Pierce. Bowdoin graduate
and, to tell the truth, best known al
| a classmate of Nathaniel Hawthorne
who wrote his campaign biography
and was rewarded with the consul
/ ship at Liverpool.