President: James A. Garfield

Wife: Lucretia Rudolph (1832-1918), on November 11, 1858

Kids: Eliza A. Garfield (1860-63); Harry A. Garfield (1863-1942); James R. Garfield (1865-1950); Mary Garfield (1867-1947); Irvin M. Garfield (1870-1951); Abram Garfield (1872-1958); Edward Garfield (1874-76)

Pets: Kit the horse; Veto the dog; fish

Bio: James Abram Garfield, (1831-1881), was the 20th President Of The United States. Born in a log cabin near Cleveland, Ohio, on Nov. 19, 1831, he was the youngest of five children. His father died in 1833, leaving the family in poverty. At the age of 17, he began a 10 year education. He graduated from Williams College with honors in 1856.

In 1859 he was elected as a Republican to the Ohio Senate, where he denounced slavery and secession, advocating force, if needed, to preserve the Union. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1858 he married Lucretia Rudolph, a former classmate. He fought in the Civil War Garfield as a lieutenant colonel, then as a major general. His heroic efforts led to an election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1862.

Garfield served in the House from 1863 to 1880, serving as chairman of the committee on appropriations for several of those years. He was also the House leader in establishing the U.S. Department of Education.

In January 1880 he was elected to the presidency. Unfortunately, his term was cut short when he was fatally shot on July 2, 1881 in a Washington railroad station by Charles J. Guiteau. Guiteau was a mentally unbalanced man who had unsuccessfully sought a federal appointment. The President died at Elberon, N.J., on September 19. 1881. After an attack of angina in Cleveland, Hayes died on Jan. 17, 1893, at his estate, Spiegel Grove, in Fremont.