Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-21
Professor of Economics at
Yale Gives Interesting Fig
ures on Mortality Among
Americas Public Men
BY PROFESSOR IRVING FISHER,
professor OF Economics in Yale Uni
versity; Chairman Hygiene Refer
ence Board, Life Extension In

By PROFESSORS IRVING F4SAGNS
(Professor OF Economies in Yale Uni
versity; Chairman Hygiene Refer
ence Board, Life Extension In
stitute.)
The unexpected and sudden death
of ex-President Roosevelt reminds
us once more of the regrettably high
mortality of our public men.
Mr.. Roosevelt became president In
September, 1901, at the age of 4S,
the Youngest age among all of our
twenty-seven presidents. According
to the American experience table,
used by life insurance companies, the
expectation of life" at the age OF
43 is 26 years.
But President Roosevelt lived only
became president-that is, he lived
out only IS per cent of his expec-
That President Roosevelt should
live less than two-thirds of his eX.
pectation is surprising, because. OIL
his supposedly great vltallty;;
Were his case exceptional, our
surprise would not be great, Tor
nothing is so uncertain as death, ano
.cseVelt's death may be due to ms
infection in South America, to Whlcn
no other president has been exposed.
But we find that premature oeatn 10
quite the usual thing among our pres
senators and congressman:
The long-lived presidents all pc
LONG to the first half of the nations
history and the majority OF tne
short-lived ones belong to the SECOND
half. .,aox,+s .,nder
four successive periods, approximate
lv equal, and emitting the three VINO I
were assassinated, we nave inc Aol-
lowing table: -
pected longevity beyond inaugural
''G First period, four presidents; 15S
p'{ second period. eight presidents;
"a per cent. o,, ,,,.osidents. GA
per cent. -;so,,+s. 80
,rhe table shows that the longevity
re onr presidents, emitting the Two
Sfi11 living and the three VINO WeIS
a111ird cred, is only 81 per cent oI Cnao
expected according to the 1Ilsu t.l LIZ
table, Moreover. this, III TURN - le[of
fhSn fWo-thirds the expectation u
nc insured lives of today, when are
11r1ora,. than the American experience
table indicates. .i+., of
Nota also that the longevity o.
I,rasidents seems to be diminish
ing with the increasing coIapAe1>i''
~ modern life IN washington 49,
We find the same apparent 'e IL
dency among the vice presidents: II. IN
Fact, the vice presidents seem TO i've
o11t a smaller Traction. o. their eA-
notation that the pres1dentla, eA-
Guiding the influence OF assasslha
tions. ..,;so,,+
fact rather than an accidental IN
cident in so small hummer OF
lives) would suggest that the OH.
cial, social and conv1vial lie at
Washington is a greater l1te-short-
ener than even the heaVy respoh@lpl-
itRes of office.
The five presidents of Yale uni
versitv, for substantially the same
period as that of the above table,
show a longevity equal to 1877 per
cent Of their expectations.
The number of lives in all three
lists (only 60 in all, excluding dup
lications) is 30 small that any stats
teal conclusions without cont1rma-
tory evidence, would be dangerous.
But we have enough lives among
our senators and representatives.
about 1900, to make the results of
undoubted significance, and the re-
suits are very similar.
Whatever our political preference.
all true Americans will mourn the
death of President Roosevelt ard
acknowledge the great value of his
| services to his country.
The fact that these services have
been cut short and that the lives
Of our public servants in general
are short should set us thinking as
| TO whether n better conservation and
| utilization of the most useful lives
| of our countrYmen cannot be secured