Childhood
• Chester Alan Arthur was the 5th child and first
son of Malvina (Stone) and William Arthur.
• Chester Arthur was born October 5, 1829, in the
temporary parsonage of North Fairfield’s,
Vermont.
• Described as a tall, genial, good-looking and
sociable student, he pursued a classical education
and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his senior
year.
Marriage
• Arthur married Ellen Lewis Herndon, the daughter of a
wealthy Virginia family, in 1859. “Nell” readily assumed
the duties of social director for the household.
• The Arthur's had two children, Chester Alan II and Ellen
Herndon Arthur, and maintained a fine residence at 2123
Lexington Avenue in New York City.
• Mrs.. Arthur died in 1880, prior to her husband’s vice
presidential nomination.
• Arthur never overcame this loss, every day in the White
House he had roses placed next to his wife’s photograph.
Jobs before Office
• Arthur split his time over the next six years
between teaching school and studying law before
he started practicing law in New York in 1854.
• Military Service: Quartermaster General, US
Army, Civil War
• Profession: Teacher, School Principal, Attorney
• Political: Collector of the Port of New York, Vice
President (For 6 months before becoming
President)
Presidency
• Arthur takes vice president on march 4, 1881.
• When President Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881.
• On September 19, 1881, Arthur received word that
the president had died.
• Within three hours Arthur had been sworn in as
the twenty-first president of the
United States.
Major Events
• April 4, 1882-Arthur vetoes the first Chinese Exclusion
Act, which would have banned the immigration of Chinese
laborers for twenty years and denied American citizenship
to current Chinese residents; the veto greatly angers labor
groups, who feel increasingly threatened by the influx of
Chinese labor.
• May 15, 1882-Arthur approves a bill to appoint a tariff
commission.
• July 1, 1882-Arthur vetoes the Carriage of Passengers at
Sea Bill, a steamboat safety bill, claiming that it contains
several major technical errors.
After Office
• President Chester A. Arthur’s nickname was “The
Gentleman Boss"
• Died on November 18, 1886 at the age of 57, only
20 months after leaving office.
• Buried in Albany, New York
Fun Facts
• 1. Arthur put the White
House furniture up for
auction
• 2. Arthur had no Vice
President
• 3. Arthur destroyed his
records
• 4. No Inaugural Address
• 5. Arthur’s questionable
citizenship
• 6. The first oath in a
president’s home.
• 7. Arthur requested
standardized time
• 8. Late night strolls
• 9. A skilled fisherman
• 10. A sharp dressed man
Mr. President References
Jessica Madison
Chester Alan Arthur
•
"President Chester A. Arthur." Vermont Sate History Sites. State Historic Sites, n.d. Web.
11 Apr 2011. <http://www.historicvermont.org/sites/html/contact.html>.
•
"Key events in the Presidency of Chester A Arthur." Miller Center of Public Affairs.
American President An online Reference Resource, n.d. Web. 11 Apr 2011.
<http://millercenter.org/president/keyevents/arthur>.
•
"Chester A Arthur." The White House. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr 2011.
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/chesterarthur/>.
•
"Chester Arthur Fast Facts." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr 2011.
<http://americanhistory.about.com/od/chesterarthur/a/ff_c_arthur.htm>.
•
"10 interesting facts about Chester Arthur." Who's Who Republican Presidents. N.p.,
2009. Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.republicanpresidents.net/2009/02/10-interestingfacts-about-chester-arthur/>.