Presidents' Day... two months late

Just a warning, it’s been quite a while since I have employed my researching and reporting techniques, so you will have to forgive me if I am a little rusty. If in fact you do see some shortcomings, just let me know and I will send you a collegiate literary analysis. I have some stellar selections from which to choose. (Oooo… could have ended that in a preposition. I’m amazing).

So it turns out no one knows anything about Millard Fillmore because his presidency was a little on the boring side. He may have been a very interesting person in life, but he didn’t have a whole lot of political support, therefore making him a poor choice for a presidential report. But alas –
Millard Fillmore was born in the Finger Lakes county of New York. He lived a frontier life and had little formal schooling. Yet, he somehow became a lawyer and later gained a state office. Fillmore was a member of the House of Representatives for eight years before becoming the Comptroller of New York. It was at that time he was elected Vice President to Taylor. When President Taylor died of complications to indigestion, Fillmore gained presidency. Unfortunately, his Whig party was upset over his signing of the Fugitive Slave Act, and refused to reelect him.

To make things a little more interesting, I attempted to find some trivia on Fillmore. Sadly, even the trivia is a little on the dry side.
1. M.F. was one of two presidents to have double letters in his first and last names
2. M.F. did not make an Inaugural Address
3. It is said that M.F. installed the first running water bathtub in the White House. This is actually a lie started by journalist H. L. Mencken to “have some fun during war days.” Wow, worst hoax ever.


Now that I am warmed up, on to Jimmy Carter...
Jimmy Carter, a Georgia native, began dappling in politics on the state level in 1962. This led him to a successful gubernatorial race eight years later. Carter rose in influence by emphasizing such issues as ecology, efficiency in government, and the break down of racial barriers. As president, Carter brought these issues to a national level through a number of achievements in domestic affairs: establishing a national energy policy, expanding the national park system, the creation of the Department of Education, and record appointments of women, African Americans, and Hispanics. Unfortunately, these successes were overshadowed by an increase in inflation and Iran holding fifty-two Americans captive along.

Perhaps Carter’s greatest gift to his country was his work in foreign affairs. He pursued amity between Egypt and Israel, gained diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, and completed negotiations of the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union. Carter’s passion for peaceful negotiation continued after his presidency with the creation of the Carter Center. This Center aims to resolve conflict, promote democracy, protect human rights, and prevent disease. Such commitment enabled Carter to be the third president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The former president was honored in 2002 for “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” As if that wasn’t enough, Carter currently volunteers one week a year for Habitat for Humanity, teaches Sunday school, and is a deacon.

If you aren’t feeling inadequate yet, here are some fun facts I learned in my research that definitely put me over the edge.
1. Carter is a speed reader able to read 2000 words per minute.
2. Carter studied nuclear physics at Annapolis
3. Carter has three sons, one daughter, eight grandsons, and three granddaughters.
4. Carter seems to have an issue with given names. He was the first president to be sworn in using his nickname – Jimmy— and his sons John William, James Earl III, and Donnel Jeffrey go by Jack, Chip, and Jeff.
Okay, the last one does not encourage inadequacy, but it is interesting nonetheless. That along with the fact that Carter’s favorite foods are mixed nuts and peaches; can you get any more wholesome?