Wed 11/18 @ 6-7PM
Ohio is sometimes called “The Mother of Presidents,” because eight Ohio presidents were from or lived in Ohio although it’s been almost 100 years since the last one (Warren G. Harding, 1921-23). Most familiar to many Clevelanders is James A. Garfield (1881, he was assassinated six months after being sworn in), who was born in Moreland Hills, and whose monument and final resting place is a landmark in Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery.
And certainly not all of them were stellar: Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881), not considered one of the greats, was chosen by one vote in the Electoral College despite not winning the popular vote, a very 21st century way to take office! Most notably, he ended Reconstruction, which gave former slaves political power in the South, and ushered in the Jim Crow era, a stain on our democracy for nearly 100 years. On the plus side, he owned one of the first Siamese cats in the U.S., a gift from a diplomat in Bangkok.
The Western Reserve Historical Society’s chief curator Eric River will talk about the eight men from Ohio who ascended to the highest office in the country, as part of the Cleveland History Center’s Speaking of Cleveland lecture series. The program will be live streamed on Zoom. Registration is $15, $10 for WRHS members. When you register you’ll be sent the Zoom link.