***(Editor’s Note: In conjunction with the Inauguration of America’s 44th President, “The Thirsty Quill” is publishing a series entitled “Ranking The Presidents.” There is no ‘exact science’ to these rankings other than personal opinion based on such factors as policy, performance, popularity, perseverance, integrity, and legacy. Aside from those Presidents ranked in the top 25% and the bottom 25%, there is a great deal of ‘wiggle room’ for discretionary placement and movement. These rankings are strictly the personal opinion of the Editor of ‘The Quill,’ and should not be regarded as an academic survey of any type. Debate of these rankings is highly encouraged and appreciated.)***

Disclaimer: This is where things became very, very difficult for me in setting the Presidential Rankings. From #43 up through #14, the process was fairly easy to navigate, and #’s 4-1 were “locked” into their positions from the early stages. Yet, #’s 13-5 were perhaps the most difficult to draw distinctions between, as each man contributed so many things to the success of America. As Presidents # 13-5 are divided into their respective rankings and groups, please know that their positioning was the most difficult for me to assign.

#13: Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

Woodrow Wilson won the Election of 1912 as the Democratic nominee, while William Taft and Teddy Roosevelt took votes away from one another. Prior to claiming the Presidency, Wilson had served as a teacher, a lawyer, a writer, the President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton), and even Governor of New Jersey.

During his first term, Wilson accomplished a great deal that strengthened America’s industrial capabilities and production. A pioneer in workplace regulations, Wilson halted child labor and set tougher standards for employers. He went on to safeguard consumers from trusts, was effective in getting essential legislation approved (including the Farm Loan Act), and established the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve Act. These accomplishments were, of course, also aided by a boom in industrial development (and a technological revolution) that took place before and during his tenure.

When “The Great War” broke out in 1914, Wilson very adamantly declared that America would stay out of ‘foreign entanglements.’ His reelection campaign slogan in 1916 proclaimed just that, as the Democrats proudly boasted “He Kept Us Out Of The War.” Wilson won a second term, but ultimately, “The War To End All Wars” proved to be unavoidable. The United States was left with little choice after German U-boats continued their merciless torpedo campaign against unarmed American vessels. The sinking of the Lusitania and the discovery of the Zimmerman Note (between Germany and Mexico) were the final straws, and Wilson urged Congress to declare war in 1917.

It was then that Wilson’s administration shifted its focus entirely to the war in Europe. The establishment of the Selective Service Act (draft), and the issuing of War Bonds, were successful and were received well by many Americans. Yet, Wilson also attempted to silence those who spoke out against the government (or against the war for that matter). His censorship of publications under the Espionage and Sedition Acts earned him a fair amount of criticism by those who claimed that he was overstepping the boundaries set forth by the Constitution.

Wilson helped bring an end to the war, and promoted his post-war ideals in his famous “Fourteen Points.” As a side note, one world leader was said to have snickered at Wilson’s list of fourteen, stating “why God himself only had a list of ten.”

One of his “points” was a recommendation for the establishment of a League of Nations. When the League became a reality after the war, America looked a little foolish as it declined the opportunity to join, despite the fact that it had been Wilson’s personal plan for an international body to prevent such wars in the future.

Later, Wilson would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for helping bring an end to the war. He is often remembered for his role in the establishment of voting rights for women as well. In the “not so notable” category, Wilson’s second wife Edith (who he married after his first wife had died in 1914) was believed to have been a direct descendent of Pocahontas. Furthermore, Wilson kept a sheep on the White House lawn named “Old Ike,” that was believed to have chewed tobacco in addition to the grass at the Executive Mansion. 

Notable Quotations: “It is not men that interest or disturb me primarily, it is ideas. Ideas live, men die.”

“I would never read a book if it were at all possible for me to talk half an hour with the man who wrote it.”

“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”

“Responsibility is proportionate to opportunity.”

“You must act in your friend’s interest whether it pleases him or not. The object of love is to serve, not to win.”

“The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make.”

#13: Woodrow Wilson

#12: John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

No Civics or U.S. History course would be complete without analyzing and memorizing the notable lines of one of our most historic Inaugural addresses: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

The ranking of President John F. Kennedy was especially difficult, as I agonized over his great words, his successes, his inspiration and hope for our country, and aligned those ideals against the fact that Kennedy served just a little more than half a term in Office.

Now wait, before you take that out of context, allow me to finish my thought. Kennedy was a Top-15 President in my opinion, easily. He may have even been a Top-10 President. Was he Top-5? Probably not. Could he have been a Top-5? We’ll never know the answer to that question.

So, I went back and forth…ranking him at #15 at one time, moving him up to #8, sliding him to #13, then adjusting it to #10. JFK was the most volatile President on this ranking over the past few weeks, and when I finally settled on him at #12, I still went back and questioned myself time and again about whether or not he was positioned correctly.

Before going any further, I had better make it clear that Kennedy did have his faults as well. Despite the image of “Camelot” portrayed by the Kennedy family, questions have always been raised about JFK’s marital integrity, especially as it pertained to one very famous Marilyn Monroe. And regardless of his popularity and ability to unite and inspire our countrymen, some saw Kennedy as a divisive figure in a turbulent time, both at home, and abroad. It was also under Kennedy that America began to flex its muscles around the world in regard to halting the spread of Communism. While in office, JFK used American troops, operatives, and cash to support military operations (and in some cases, coups) in Cuba, Iraq, and most notably, Vietnam. However, I will focus on the positive aspects of his short Presidency from this point forward.

His resume was pristine. A Naval Commander during World War II, Kennedy parlayed his patriotism and war stories into a successful political career. Having experience in both the House and Senate, Kennedy seemed “primed” for the task of Presidency in a decade that provided America with “New Frontiers.” He was a Pulitzer Prize winning author, a Purple Heart recipient, a dreamer, a motivational speaker, and at a relatively young age, a charmer of old and young alike.

Kennedy was a champion for human rights and one of the foremost whites who proclaimed his support for civil rights as well. He created the Peace Corps and proposed the legislation that became the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (after his death). Because of his involvement, Kennedy earned the support of many minorities across the country.

The Cold War was in a deep freeze when Kennedy entered office, and the building of the Berlin Wall only made things worse. Kennedy stood eye-to-eye with the Soviets, even going so far as to hint at using nuclear weapons during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Although many Liberal Democrats are quick to criticize the recent President Bush for the use of wiretapping after 9/11, most fail to realize that Kennedy did so (to an even greater extent) against those suspected of being Communists (going so far as to tap Martin Luther King, Jr. at one time). However, the majority of Americans were happy to embrace this intrusion of privacy as a safeguard to American interests during the 1960s.

Lastly, Kennedy’s dream of putting an American man on the moon before the end of the decade was finally realized in 1969.

Some lesser-known items of interest about JFK include the fact that he was (and still is) the only Catholic President in America history. Despite his youthful appearance and athletic demeanor, Kennedy was actually in poor health for most of his life, suffering from Addison’s disease. He was the youngest elected President at age 43, and he participated in the first televised Presidential Debate in American history, squaring off against his opponent…Vice President Richard Nixon.

Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963. To this day, conspiracy theorists still promote the idea that there may be more to JFK’s death than we know.

Had JFK not been assassinated, he would have no doubt been elected to a second term. Yet, the feats, accomplishments, and legislation that might have been cannot be assumed. So while I admire JFK immensely (and have ranked him quite high on this list), I cannot justify as evidence those things that we will never know. 

Notable Quotations: “When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we’d been saying they were.”

“It has been recently observed that whether I serve one or two terms in the presidency, I will find myself at the end of that period at what might be called ‘the awkward age;’ too old to begin a career, and too young to write my memoirs.”

“And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

“The mere absence of war is not peace.”

“We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world…or to make it the last.”

“Victory has a hundred fathers, but defeat is often an orphan.”

#12: John F. Kennedy

PRESIDENTIAL RANKINGS SO FAR:

#12: John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

#13: Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

#14: James K. Polk (1845-1849)

#15: Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

#16: George W. Bush (2001-2009)

#17: John Adams (1797-1801)

#18: William McKinley (1897-1901)

#19: William Taft (1909-1913)

#21/20: Grover Cleveland (1885-89/1893-97)

#22: George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)

#23: Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

#24: Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)

#25: John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)

#26: Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)

#27: Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

#28: Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

#29: Zachary Taylor (March 1849-July 1850)

#30: Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

#31: Chester Arthur (1881-1885)

#32: Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

#33: John Tyler (1841-1845)

#34: Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

#35: Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

#36: Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

#37: James Buchanan (1857-1861)

#38: Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

#39: Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

#40: Warren Harding (March 1921-August 1923)

#41: Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

#42*: James Garfield (March 1881-September 1881)

#43*: William Henry Harrison (March 1841-April 1841)