The daily star-mirror., 1923-08-06
INAUGURATION
AGE AVERAGE %
SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCES OF
PRESIDENTS SH0WN-MOST
WERE POOR MEN
(From Chicago Tribune.)

! the average age of our presidents
at the time they assumed office is
81 years. Coolidge's age when he
took the oath of office was 81 years
and 80 days.
Although the majority of the presi-
dents have been college graduates,
several of the greatest, notably Wash
ington and Lincoln, have been almost
self-educated
All presidents have belonged to
the Protestant religion except Jeffer-
son and Lincoln, who were not identi-
fled with any particular religion, be-
ing termed as liberals.
Many Presidents Poor
Many of the presidents were poor
in their youth and were compelled to
selves. Others were the sons of
widowed mothers. A number were
poor even up to the time they occu-
pied the presidents chair.
Among the exceptions is Washing
ton, who was the richest man in
America at the time of his Inaugural
ton. Andrew Johnson was probably
the poorest man to occupy the execu-
tive chair
Six presidents have died in office
since the founding of the United
States. They are: William Henry
Harrison, 1S41; Zachary Taylor,
1850; Abraham Lincoln, 1865; James
A. Garfield, 1881; William Mckinley,
1901; Warren G. Harding, 1928.
Tragedies Farther Apart
The deaths of presidents in office
are growing less frequent, according
to the dates of their deaths. Begin
ming in 1871, the deaths of presidents
in office were nine years apart. By
1923 the average time has heightened
to % years. The last president to
die in office was Mckinley in 1901.
The span will probably be about 26
years to the next death, if the pre-
sent ratio keeps up. This will put
the next tragedy about the year 1949.
The average age of each president
when he became the nations chief,
his ancestry, education, and circum-
stances are shown as follows:
Washington, 81, English, self-edu-
Gated, wealthy.
John Adams, 81, English, college
graduate, moderate.
Jefferson, 81, Welsh college gradu-
ate, moderate.
Madison, 81, English. college gradu-
tie, moderate.
Monroe, 5S, Scotch, college gradu-
ate, moderate
J. @. Adams, 81, English, college
graduate, moderate.
Jackson, 81, ScotchIrish, self-edu-
lated, poor.
vanBuren, 54, Dutch, elementary
chool training, poor.
w. H. Harrison, 68, English, college
raduate, moderate.
Tyler, 81, English, college gradu-
tie, wealthy.
polk. 40. Scotch-Irish, college gra-
uate, moderate.
Taylor, GA, English, self-educated,
oor.
Fillmore. so, English, self-educated,
oor.
ierce, 4S, English, college graduate,
yealthy.
Buchanan, SIS, Scotch-Irish, college
poor.
Lincoln. So, English, self-educated,
OOr.
Johnson, So, English, self-educated,
oor.
Grant, 46, Scotch, college graduate,
oor.
Hayes, 54, Scotch, college graduate,
:,
Garfield, 40, English, college graou-
te, poor.
Arthur, so, Scotch-Irish, college
moderate.
Cleveland, At, English. self-edu-
ated, moderate.
BENJAMIN Harrison, SIS, English, col
ge graduate, moderate.
Cleveland (second term), 55.
Mckinley, 54, Scotch-1rish, eie-
entary school training, poor.
Roosevelt, AZ, Dutch, college gradu-
e, wealthy.
TAFT. 81. English, college graduate,
oderate.
Wilson, 56, Scotch-Irish, college
moderate.
Harding, SIS, Scotch-Dutch, college
well-todo.
Coolidge, 81, English, college gra-
,,+o ,oodorat