Connecticut, recognized as the Constitution State, boasts a vibrant history of nurturing leaders who played pivotal roles in shaping the nation.
Seven noteworthy individuals, all born in Connecticut, ascended to the presidency of the United States. Explore the remarkable lives of these individuals and discover their significant contributions to American history.
George W. Bush (1946-)
George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009, is the most recent president to be born in Connecticut. On July 6, 1946, he was born in New Haven, Connecticut, while his father, George H. W. Bush, was a Yale University student.
At the age of two, he and his family relocated to Texas, where he was raised. In 1968, he earned his degree from Yale, and in 1975, from Harvard Business School. Before winning the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, he was Texas’s governor from 1995 to 2000.
In addition to starting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and implementing tax breaks and educational reforms, he is renowned for steering the nation through the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
George H. W. Bush (1924-2018)
George H. W. Bush, the father of George W. Bush, served as the country’s 41st president from 1989 until 1993. Born in Milton, Massachusetts on June 12, 1924, he later relocated to Greenwich, Connecticut, when he was a little child.
He went to Andover, Massachusetts’s Phillips Academy and Greenwich Country Day School. At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the Navy during World War II and became the youngest naval aviator in history.
After earning his Yale degree in 1948, he relocated to Texas and launched a prosperous oil company. Before taking office, he worked for Ronald Reagan as vice president, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, ambassador to the UN, and congressman.
Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006)
Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977, is the only president to have not been elected to the presidency or the vice presidency. Leslie Lynch King Jr. was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 14, 1913.
Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he was a standout student and football player. He earned his degrees from Yale Law School in 1941 as well as the University of Michigan in 1935. He participated in World War II as a member of the Navy before winning a seat in the House of Representatives in 1948 and serving there for 25 years.
Following the resignation of Spiro Agnew as vice president in 1973 and Richard Nixon as president in 1974 as a result of the Watergate affair, he assumed the presidency.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, served as the supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and held the office from 1953 to 1961. Born in Denison, Texas on October 14, 1890, he relocated to Abilene, Kansas, at the age of two.
Following his graduation from the USMA at West Point in 1915, he held a number of military posts until 1942, when he was named the commander of the European theater of operations. In 1949, he was appointed supreme commander of NATO, and in 1948, he was named president of Columbia University.
He defeated Adlai Stevenson to win the presidency in 1952 and 1956. He is credited with putting an end to the Korean War, starting the space program and the interstate highway system, and going up against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
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Herbert Hoover (1874-1964)
Herbert Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, confronted the challenges of the Great Depression during his term from 1929 to 1933. Born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa, he relocated to Newberg, Oregon, at the age of nine.
Hoover earned his degree in mining engineering from Stanford University in 1895 and embarked on a global journey, participating in various mining ventures. By the age of 40, he had amassed a fortune and dedicated himself to humanitarian efforts during World War I.
Having served as the Secretary of Commerce under Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, Hoover advocated for economic growth and efficiency.
He secured the presidency in 1928, triumphing over Al Smith. Unfortunately, his legacy is marred by his inability to prevent or alleviate the economic turmoil triggered by the stock market crash of 1929.
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William Howard Taft (1857-1930)
William Howard Taft, the only president to hold the dual role of chief judge of the Supreme Court, led the country as its 27th president from 1909 to 1913. On September 15, 1857, he was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the home of his well-known lawyer and politician father.
He earned his degrees from Cincinnati Law School in 1880 and Yale in 1878. He worked for Theodore Roosevelt, who personally chose him to be his successor, as a judge, solicitor general, governor of the Philippines, and secretary of war. Having defeated William Jennings Bryan, he was elected president in 1908.
Roosevelt challenged him in 1912 as a third-party candidate, and he lost the race for reelection. In 1921 he achieved his lifelong dream of becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Samuel Huntington (1731-1796)
Samuel Huntington, the inaugural president hailing from Connecticut and the sole one not to serve under the Constitution, held the position of the seventh president of the Continental Congress from 1779 to 1781. Born on July 16, 1731, in Windham, Connecticut, Huntington pursued a career as a farmer and cooper.
Despite being self-taught in law, he achieved success as a lawyer and judge. His involvement in national affairs included serving as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1776 to 1784, where he played a crucial role by signing both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.
In 1781, Huntington presided over the Congress during the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, earning him the distinction of being the first president of the United States in Congress Assembled—the official title of the government operating under the Articles.
Conclusion
These seven Connecticut-born presidents have made a lasting impression on American history. Though their backgrounds, occupations, and accomplishments vary widely, they are all descended from the Constitution State, which unites them. They are a part of the presidential legacy of Connecticut, which gives its citizens inspiration and pride.
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