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ChildrenBeing a child in the White House has never been an easy proposition. From the media glare, the heavy weight of expectations and the unfortunate political responsibilities, it will sometimes break even the best of them. Alas, the pressure doesn’t conclude when the father’s term ends. At times, for the older ones, their life before the White House also becomes fodder for the public. Our forty three presidents have sired a combined 167 children (89 males, 68 females), adopted eighteen (twelve males, six females) and became the stepfather to two boys. Interestingly, out of the 167 biological children, ten (four males, six females) were born out of wedlock. The nation’s tenth president, John Tyler, was the most productive, fathering fifteen children (eight males, seven females). At the other end of the spectrum, four presidents (George Washington, Andrew Jackson, James Polk and James Buchanan), did not beget any children. The seventh president, Andrew Jackson, was the Angelina Jolie of his time. Together with wife Rachel, he adopted ten children (eight males, two females). Meanwhile, our third president, the genius Thomas Jefferson, comes up tops in the illegitimate category, with six (two males, four females). Two of White House’s children, John Quincy Adams (son of our second president, John Adams) and George W. Bush (son of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush), went on to become president themselves (the 6th and 43rd). Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president, was the grandson of ninth, William H. Harrison. TriviaLetty Tyler Semple Letty, daughter of John Tyler, accused her stepmother, Julia Gardiner (Tyler’s second), of seducing her husband, James Semple. Alice Roosevelt Among all of our presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, probably fits the archetypal image of an action hero the best. He was handsome, with an imposing physique, a courageous soldier, leader of men and exceptionally intelligent to boot. However, even he threw his arms up in exasperation over the antics of his gorgeous daughter, Alice Roosevelt. The stunning raven-haired beauty proved to be too much of a handful for her father, who famously declared, “I can either run the country, or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both.” Alice, a trendy socialite, drew gasps of alarm with her headline grabbing lifestyle, leading the press to crown her Princess Alice. Pictures of her smoking on the roof of the White House, in the arms of some of the most eligible bachelors in the country, shooting at telegraph poles, wrapping her pet snake around her shoulders, gambling at the race track – the list was endless. In a feature article by that appeared in The Titusville Herald in June 9, 1999, Lawrence L. Knutson, a long-time D.C insider, reported, “A congressman's wife, describing Alice at a White House party in 1911, said she "held the very scant skirt quite high, and when the band played, kicked about and moved her body sinuously like a shining leopard cat." At a society ball about that time, she bounced to the Turkey Trot while blowing rhythmic puffs of cigarette smoke, causing some to liken her to a rocketing locomotive.” The free-spirited Alice was ahead of her time, and she makes no apologies about it. “Nobody cultivates me. I'm wild. I'm wild.” Robert Todd Lincoln The son of the legendary Abraham Lincoln was present in the assassination of three presidents; his father, James Garfield and William McKinley. James Webb Cook Hayes The second son of Rutherford Hayes is the most decorated soldier among all children of former presidents. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest from the military, for his bravery during the Spanish-American War. His citation read, Pushed through the enemy's lines alone, during the night, from the beach to the beleaguered force at Vigan, and returned the following morning to report the condition of affairs to the Navy and secure assistance.Maureen Reagan The daughter of Ronald Reagan once claimed to have seen the ghost of Abraham Lincoln wandering around the White House's Executive Mansion. Margaret Truman The daughter of Harry Truman was once an ambitious opera singer, and after three years doing vocal recitals over the radio, she was offered the chance to perform live in the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington. The event, held on December 5th, 1950, in front of 3,500 people, drew some of the most well connected people in town, including her father and the British Prime Minister, Clement Atlee. The Washington Post music critic, Paul Hume, wrote this review in the paper the following day. Miss Truman is a unique American phenomenon with a pleasant voice of little size and fair quality [...] Miss Truman cannot sing very well. She is flat a good deal of the time - more last night than at any time we have heard her in past years [...] There are few moments during her recital when one can relax and feel confident that she will make her goal, which is the end of the song [...] Miss Truman has not improved in the years we have heard her; she still cannot sing with anything approaching professional finish. She communicates almost nothing of the music she presents.President Truman hand delivered a message to Hume on the same day. Mr. Hume:- |
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