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James A. Garfield
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 | Subjects: Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881; Ohio History -- Presidents and Politics;
Places: Cuyahoga County (Ohio);
Collection: James A. Garfield
Source: SC 2612
Item ID: OHS: AL00575.tif
Description: Reproduction of an engraved portrait of President James A. Garfield. In 1881, Garfield became the twentieth president of the United States. He was assassinated after only six months in office. Born on November 19, 1831 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Garfield was the youngest of five children. Garfield's father died when he was two, and his family was left poverty-stricken. As a teenager, Garfield worked on a canal boat. He enrolled in the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (now Hiram College), then went to Williams College to complete his education. After graduating, he returned to Hiram to serve as teacher of ancient languages (1853, 1856-1861), principal (1857-1863), and trustee (1864-1881). Garfield married Lucretia Rudolph (1832-1918) in 1858. Lucretia was the daughter of Zeb Rudolph, a devoted member of the Disciples of Christ and one of the founders of the institute. Garfield served as a lieutenant colonel in the 42nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (O.V.I.) during the Civil War, and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1863 to 1880. He supported the Radical Republican plan for African American suffrage, as well as the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. In 1880, Garfield was elected to the U.S. Senate. His plans changed, however, when he was nominated for president at the Republican National Convention later that year. The election was close, but Garfield emerged the winner. Less than six months into his administration, Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a Washington attorney who was upset that he did not receive a federal appointment. The president died three months later on September 19, 1881 at Elberon, New Jersey. The James A. Garfield Collection at Hiram College focuses on Garfield's connection to Hiram and includes a broad range of personal and professional material, much of it in Garfield's own hand. The collection also includes a virtually complete set of Garfield's speeches in pamphlet form and works about Garfield written after his death and up to the present.
Width: 2000 pixels
Height: 2799 pixels
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