In light of Sean Moser’s president’s chapter, seniors in Civics at Saint Paul’s School have learned more about the presidents than they thought possible.

The seniors can list the presidents, their parties, and the states they’re from, for they had to do so on Moser’s infamous “Presidents Test.”

Other than those facts, the seniors had to research a myriad of interesting facts on the presidents, some well-known while others obscure and surprising. Here, The Paper Wolf will detail some of the most interesting facts that seniors found about the presidents.

George Washington (1789-1797):

George Washington, known commonly as the father of our country, was the first president and the first to own slaves. Washington lost all his teeth, cracking walnuts in his mouth, and many believe that they were replaced with wooden dentures. However, his fake teeth were made of ivory and elephant tusk and crafted by his slaves.

Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809):

Thomas Jefferson, the drafter of the Declaration of Independence and the third president was a planter, engineer, lawyer, architect, inventor, and the first president to live in the White House full-time. While he was the ambassador to France, he took one of his slaves, 13-year-old Sally Hemmings, with him to take care of his daughter. He later constructed hidden passageways to her chamber and fathered three children with her.

James Madison (1809-1817):

Madison was the main writer of the United States Constitution, the Virginia Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. He was also the shortest and lightest president, standing at five feet, four inches, and 122 pounds. During the War of 1812, the British burned down the White House under his administration; his wife Dolly saved several historical items, including paintings of George Washington.

James Monroe (1817-1825):

James Monroe was the first president to address the issue of slavery, for the statute of limitation from the Constitutional Convention had expired. First, he signed the Missouri Compromise, which limited slavery to the South. Second, he instituted the controversial practice of repatriation, that is, deporting slaves back to Africa, creating the country of Liberia, of which the capital was named in his name.

Andrew Jackson (1829-1837):

Andrew Jackson, known as “Old Hickory” for his stubborn tenacity and fiery tendencies, frequently abused his executive powers against the states. For this, citizens jokingly called him “King Jackson the First.” Additionally, he fired his cabinet multiple times, relying on his Kitchen Cabinet,” a group of his close friends. Moreover, he drove many altercations to the point of dueling, once killing a man in a duel.

William Henry Harrison(1841):

William Henry Harrison holds the record for the longest inauguration address: 8,460 words, taking nearly two hours. This resulted in his setting the record for the shortest presidential term: 32 days. He died early into his term from pneumonia caught during his long speech.

John Tyler (1841-1845):

Apart from annexing Texas, John Tyler fathered 15 children during his life, the most out of all the presidents. Additionally, after Tyler took over for Harrison, the entire cabinet resigned.

James K. Polk (1845-1849):

Polk was instrumental in coining the idea of “Manifest Destiny,” that is, that the United States of America should occupy all land from coast to coast of North America. Apart from this, during his one term, he secretly purchased a significant amount of enslaved children to work on his plantation in Mississippi.

Zachary Taylor (1849-1850):

Taylor, who was over 65 years old when he took office, was a seasoned war veteran with little political experience, hence why he was called “Old Rough and Ready.” Moreover, before his election to the presidency, he had never been voted to any office of any kind.

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857):

After losing both of his sons, Pierce was consumed by grief and turned to alcohol to ease his pain. He frequently would ride his horse and buggy inebriated. Once, while doing this, he ran over a woman and killed her in what could be one of the first drunk “driving” accidents.

James Buchanan (1857-1861):

Buchanan was thought to be weak-willed, for he was president when the Southern states started to secede. Moreover, he was rumored to be gay; he had no first lady (he had to have his niece fill the position), and a close male friend of his would frequently stay in the White House with him, also going on long trips with Buchanan where they would stay in the same room.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865):

Lincoln was the tallest president to date, standing at six feet, four inches. Because of this, he was thought to have Marfan Syndrome, a congenital disorder that leads to a tall stature and a slim frame. Additionally, as it goes, Lincoln was assassinated while attending a performance of the comedy Our American Cousin.

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869):

Johnson was Lincoln’s vice president; therefore, it would make sense for him to continue the idea of Reconstruction that Lincoln pushed for after the Civil War. However, Johnson repeatedly tried to prevent Reconstruction from taking hold in the South. The “Radical Republicans” impeached him for being a Confederate sympathizer.

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877):

Grant, a revered Civil War general, used federal troops in the South to enforce Reconstruction statutes, although he had a scandalous presidency. For example, he was involved in the Whiskey Ring Scandal, which revolved around diverting tax revenues involving whiskey distillers and government agents, among other controversies.

Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881):

Hayes, a silverback and conservationist, was the first president to have a telephone in his oval office.

James Garfield (1881):

Garfield was the first documented left-handed president. He was elected to the Ohio senate but never served his term because he received the Republican nomination before he could take office.

Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897):

Cleveland was the only president in history, thus far, to ever serve two non-consecutive terms after losing his incumbent election to Benjamin Harrison despite winning the popular vote.

William Mckinley (1897-1901):

Mckinley’s face was used on the $500 bill while it was in circulation; however, they were discontinued and pulled after more than 60 years due to lack of use.

William Howard Taft (1909-1913):

Taft holds the title of the most overweight president, with a BMI of 40, which indicates severe obesity. A rumor, albeit a false one, spread that he would get stuck in his bathtub, so his white house staff had to make a bigger one for him.

Warren G. Harding (1921-1923):

Harding was infamous for his infidelity. Hundreds of love letters have been uncovered since his death, exposing his lack of interest in his wife and attraction to his mistresses, having an estimated seven affairs. One of these affairs led to the birth of an illegitimate child, Elizabeth Ann. On another note, Harding golfed at least twice every week.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945):

Roosevelt was the president with the longest tenure, lasting almost 4 entire terms before he died from a stroke from complications with polio. As a result of his tenure length, the 22nd Amendment was passed, setting the presidential term limit to to terms of four years each.

Harry S. Truman (1945-1953):

The “S” in Truman’s name does not stand for anything; it is simply an initial.

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969):

Johnson was sworn into office on Air Force One, that is, on his presidential airplane, after Kennedy’s assassination.

Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974):

During his station in the Solomon Islands, Nixon frequently gambled, preferring poker. In fact, he became so skilled at poker that he used his winnings to begin his political career.

Gerald Ford (1974-1977):

Ford was a football prodigy at the University of Michigan, earning a spot in their “Hall of Honor.” Moreover, he had opportunities to play professionally, receiving offers to play for the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989):

Reagan’s first dream wasn’t to become a politician; he started as a lifeguard and sportscaster and eventually earned his spot as a Hollywood actor.

Bill Clinton (1993-2001):

To boost polling, Clinton played the saxophone live on the Arsenio Hall show. Apart from this, Clinton is known for his affair with Monica Lewinsky, ultimately caught by the bodily fluid left on her dress.

Barack Obama (2009-2017):

Obama was the only president to have won two Grammy awards for “Best Spoken Word Album; his wife, similarly, won two Grammys for “Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording” and “Best Spoken Word Album.”

Donald J. Trump (2017-2021):

Trump was an actor and real estate developer prior to becoming president. During his career, he appeared in the classic holiday movie Home Alone.

Joe Biden (2021-present):

Biden has one of the longest active political careers, serving in the Senate for 36 years before being elected vice-president and eventually president, meaning his political career has lasted 52 years.