"In 1876, when James A. Garfield was serving his seventh term in Congress, he devised an original proof for the Pythagorean theorem. A classics scholar who'd taught math, history, philosophy, Greek, Latin and rhetoric at an Ohio college, the 20th president was also a preacher, a Union major general during the Civil War and a lawyer. Garfield is far from the only former commander in chief to boast an impressive array of accomplishments."
"Most presidential backgrounds conform to a particular mold. Twenty-six presidents passed the bar prior to taking office. Even Andrew Jackson, whose political rival John Quincy Adams called him "a barbarian who could not write a sentence of grammar," was admitted to the bar. In addition to the Harvard University-educated Adams, 14 other American presidents have obtained Ivy League degrees. Three- Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter-attended the country's prestigious military academies."
James A. Garfield devised an original proof for the Pythagorean theorem in 1876 and had a background as a classics scholar who taught math, history, philosophy, Greek, Latin and rhetoric, served as a preacher, Union major general and lawyer. Abraham Lincoln held a patent. Twenty-six presidents passed the bar before taking office, and fifteen obtained Ivy League degrees, including Harvard-educated John Quincy Adams. Three presidents — Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter — attended U.S. military academies. Several presidents displayed academic and intellectual achievements that diverged from typical political career paths, while some famed polymaths like Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt are widely recognized.
#19th-20th-century-us-presidents #presidential-achievements-beyond-politics #education-and-professions #james-a-garfield
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