Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-12
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The Presidential Age.

Of life's milestones, his fifty-fifth birth
day anniversary. The years have been
full years for hin1-full Of work and
accomplishment. AS men go in these
modern days, Mr.. Hoover is still q
young man, in his prime indeed.
The records show that the men who
have been chosen to be Chief Execu-
tives Of the United States have been
In the prime of life. and that only
I'VE out Of the entire line of Presidents,
including those who have succeeded to
the presidential ONCE from the office
Of Vice President, have been go years
or over when they took office. Theodore
Roosevelt was the youngest Of them all
when he took the oath Of Office back
In 1901 following the assassination Of
President Mckinley. COL Roosevelt
was AZ years old. He was only 40
when he quit the White House. Young
enough to think Of staging comeback
four years later. The second of the
Presidents in line Of youth was Ulysses
8. Grant, who was 46 at the time of
his Inauguration and 81 when he
left ONCE. Gen Grant aSpired to a
third term in the White House, too.
but the sentiment against more than
two terms in the ONCE of President,
which grew up In this country soon
after George Washington declined to
serve longer than eight years, was too
strong to be overcome.
Grover Cleveland took the oath Of
ONCE as President when he was Al
years old. He was the only President
who has ever been defeated for re-
election and who later succeeded
In entering the White House. In con-
sequence he was SO years old when his
last term expired. Calvin Coolidge was
81 years old when he was sworn in as
President by lamplight early in the
morning In his old home in Vermont
following the receipt Of the news OF
the death of Warren G. Harding. He Is
80 now. He will be 50 during the cam
paign In 1882. If that has any bearing
on the suggestion that the former
President might be candidate again
for the presidency three years hence.
The older Presidents were John
Adams, who took office when he was
81; Andrew Jackson, 81; Zachary Tay-
lor, 81; James Buchanan, IS, and Will
liam H. Harrison, So. The last died
month after he became President and
Zachary Taylor died o year following
his entry into the White House. The
average age Of Presidents on entering
ONCE has been 52.6 years.
The question of age in the selection
Of Presidents was brought to the fore
last year when Charles Evans Hughes,
former Secretary of State and Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court, declined
to permit his name to be considered for
the nomination on the ground that he
was "too old" Mr.. Hughes was 66 years
old last March 4, the date on which
he would have entered the White
House had be been nominated and
elected President. A four-year term
and he would have been 70, and q Sec
ond term would have found him at its
close 70.
Mr.. Hoover was the only candidate
for the Republican nomination for
President seriously put forward at
Kansas City last year who was under
so years of age. His strongest oppo-
nent, former Gov. Lowden Of Illinois,
was 90 last March 4. It is Of interest to
note that Alfred e. Smith, the Demo-
cratic opponent Of Mr.. Hoover, was IS
last March.
It would be idle to say that age
should be . deciding and controlling
factor always in selecting the Chief
Executive of the United States. But
1t Is. true that this highest office in the
gift Of the American people has gone
to comparatively young and vigorous
men.