Chester A. Arthur, 21st President of the United States
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Chester A. Arthur, 21st President of the United States
Chester Alan Arthur was born 196 years ago today, on October 5, 1829, in Fairfield, Vermont. He grew up in upstate New York, where his father, a Baptist preacher, moved the family frequently. Arthur studied at Union College in Schenectady, graduating in 1848 with honors before reading law and entering the legal profession.
Before assuming the presidency, Arthur built a reputation as a successful attorney and held various public positions, including serving as Quartermaster General of the New York Militia during the Civil War. He was later appointed Collector of the Port of New York, a powerful position that brought him influence in the Republican political machine. In 1880, he was selected as James Garfield’s running mate and became vice president; he assumed the presidency after Garfield’s assassination in 1881.
As president, Arthur surprised many by supporting civil service reform, signing the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act to combat political patronage. He modernized the U.S. Navy, oversaw immigration legislation, and vetoed excessive spending, earning him respect as a reform-minded leader. Though not re-nominated by his party, Arthur’s presidency is remembered as one of integrity and transformation.
- Arthur was married to Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur, with whom he had three children; she passed away before he became president, and he remained a widower during his term.
- An interesting fact about Arthur is that he reportedly owned over 80 pairs of pants and changed multiple times a day, earning him a reputation as one of the best-dressed presidents in U.S. history.
- There is no standalone Chester A. Arthur Presidential Library, but collections of his papers are held at the Library of Congress and the New York State Library, with historical markers near his birthplace in Vermont and his longtime residence in New York City.
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