Chester A. Arthur (1829-1886)
After being the vice president, Chester Alan Arthur became the 21st President of the United States after the assassination of President James A. Garfield.
Chester Alan Arthur was the son of a Scottish-Irish Father. Later in Arthur’s life his father joined the Free Will Baptists, spending the rest of his life as a minister in that sect.
After finishing his studies of law Arthur moved to New York to read law at the law office of Erastus D. Culver, a family friend. Arthur’s role in the American Civil War (1861-1865) was to safeguard the supply for the forces. Three years later he supported the U.S. President election of Ulyssess S. Grant.
Wife: Ellen Lewis Herndon (1837-1880), wedding on october 25, 1859
Children: William Lewis Herndon Arthur; Chester Alan Arthur; Ellen Herndon Arthur
Profession: lawyer
Political orientation: Republican
Vice President: -
Presidential salary: USD 50,000/year
Presidential election: As Garfield’s vice president Arthur became U.S. President after his death. No Presidential elections took place.
Presidency (1881-1885):
Arthur reformed the civil service to fight against the corruption going on in the country. He modernized the U.S. fleet and passed the first U.S. Civil Servant Act. Because of his commitment to the fight against corruption he had a very good reputation.
Arthur adapted the politics profoundly; however it was not in the interests of all Americans.
Despite his achievements Arthur is regarded as controversial. To this day there are speculations about whether Arthur was born in the U.S. or abroad. A precondition is in fact that presidential and vice presidential candidates must be born in the United States. Under these circumstances this means that Arthur possibly should not have been selected as President or Vice President at all. Arthur secretly suffered from renal insufficiency and probably for this reason he resigned from his re-election in 1884.
The 21st President of the United States died on November 18, 1886 in New York City.
Nickname: “The Gentleman Boss”; “First Gentleman of the Land”; “Elegant Arthur” (because of his cultivated appearance)
"I may be president of the United States, but my private life is nobody's damned business." (Chester A. Arthur)