James A. Garfield
Served 200 days — not because he died quickly, but because he was shot in July and lingered until September, with his doctors' repeated probing of the wound (with unwashed hands) likely killing him more than the bullet did. Garfield was also the last president born in a log cabin.
Pantheon Standing
| List Name | Rank | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Greatest U.S. Presidents of All Time | #1 | 96.0 |
The Age Divide
Voters under 30 and over 35 rank James A. Garfield significantly differently across lists.
The Cultural Record
Discography
No entries on record.
Awards & Recognition
No Grammy data on record.
—
20th President
assassinated (shot July 2
died Sep 19 1881)
doctors' unsanitary probing likely caused death more than bullet
last log-cabin-born president
Civil Service reform champion
House Majority Leader
200 days in office
assassin was Charles Guiteau
a disappointed office-seeker
The Case For James A. Garfield
“The longevity argument alone puts them in a category of one. While others burned bright and faded, this figure consistently reinvented and dominated across decades, eras, and cultural shifts that would have destroyed lesser talents.”
“Technically unmatched. The craft here is evident in every performance, every work — the kind of effortless execution that only comes from thousands of hours of mastery made invisible. They make the impossible look inevitable.”
“Commercial success should never be held against artistic legacy. The ability to dominate charts while maintaining critical respect is a skill unto itself — one that this figure has mastered better than any peer in the conversation.”
Rank History
Ranking history will be available once voting opens for James A. Garfield.
Often Compared To
Richard Nixon
#2President / Republican — Yorba Linda, California · 1969–1974
The most complex president of the 20th century — Nixon opened China, ended Vietnam (after prolonging it), created the EPA, and desegregated Southern schools. He also committed federal crimes to win an election he would have won anyway, and became the only president to resign.
Ronald Reagan
#3President / Republican — Tampico, Illinois · 1981–1989
The president who redefined the Republican Party and the modern conservative movement — Reaganomics, the end of the Cold War, and 'Morning in America' made him the most consequential Republican of the 20th century.