Several of the most recent United States presidents, including Harry S Truman, Millard Fillmore, and Zachary Taylor, did not have a college degree. Despite this, these men are considered to be among the most influential and powerful leaders of their time. They were instrumental in leading the country through difficult times and paving the way for future generations.
Abraham Lincoln
Despite having little formal education, Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States. Lincoln is also considered a great orator. His Gettysburg Address is considered to be one of the best speeches in American history. He was also a savvy military strategist. He led the United States during the Civil War.
Lincoln grew up on a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He later moved to Illinois. He was elected to the Illinois state legislature in 1834. He was a self-taught lawyer, although he did read voraciously during his free time. He served in the Illinois state legislature for four terms.
He also worked as a postmaster, surveyor, and storekeeper. He was a self-proclaimed “prairie lawyer” and a skilled military strategist. He volunteered for the Black Hawk War. He was also a member of the Independent Spy Corps.
In 1856, he joined a new Republican party, composed of former Whigs who had opposed slavery. They advocated construction of a railroad to the Pacific Coast and called for admission of Kansas as a free state.
In 1858, Lincoln debated with Stephen A. Douglas, a powerful senator from Illinois. The two debated seven times over seventy days. Their debates were widely reproduced in the New York Tribune.
When he was in office, Lincoln voiced his opinion on the Mexican-American War. He disputed President James Polk’s assertion that Mexicans attacked American soldiers on American soil. He also warned against violence.
He also defended the Union against states that sought to secede. His 1860 election victory was short-lived. In February 1861, seven Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America.
Millard Fillmore
Despite having very little formal education, Millard Fillmore was the thirteenth president of the United States. He came into office at a very crucial time in the country’s slavery debate. His tenure was short, and he failed to secure the election for a second term as president.
He was born in a log cabin in Locke Township, New York. He apprenticed to a cloth maker when he was fifteen. He later studied law under Judge Walter Wood. Fillmore became a lawyer in Buffalo, New York. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1834. He became one of the founders of the University of Buffalo, where he served as its first chancellor.
Millard Fillmore was an avid supporter of Andrew Johnson during Reconstruction, and he denounced secession during the Civil War. He was also a staunch opponent of Abraham Lincoln. Fillmore refused to join the newly formed Republican Party in 1856, claiming that the party was a “rejection of the nation.”
Millard Fillmore became an influential member of the Whig Party during his early career. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1832. He served as a New York state assemblyman in 1828. In 1843, he unsuccessfully ran for governor of New York. In 1844, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to secure a Whig nomination for vice president. In 1847, Fillmore was elected state comptroller, and in 1849 he became the chief financial officer of the wealthiest state in the nation.
Millard Fillmore was appointed the second vice president of the United States when Zachary Taylor died unexpectedly in 1850. Fillmore took over the presidency after Taylor’s death. The Senate was beginning to debate slavery, and Fillmore’s popularity began to wane. The popularity of Fillmore was harmed by the Mexican War, and his attempt to secure a second term as president was not successful.
Harry S Truman
Despite having been a major player in the politics of his time, Harry S. Truman was the last US president to have never earned a college degree. He was born in the town of Lamar, Missouri. His parents were poor farmers. They were not able to afford to send him to college.
In the early 1920s, Truman started a haberdashery in Kansas City with his friend Edward Jacobson. The pair took out many loans to get the shop up and running. However, the store failed during a recession.
In 1922, Truman was elected to serve as a Jackson County judge. He was elected to the Senate in 1935 and served for 10 years. His popularity waned during his second term.
During the 1940s, Truman presided over the transition from war to peace, and lobbied for an expansive liberal agenda that built on the New Deal. He also lobbied to protect the New Deal gains despite a growing economy that suffered from inflation.
Truman was a good political leader, but his success was limited to his personal charisma and the strength of his political network. His political fortunes reached a low point in 1946 and 1947. His popularity plummeted due to accusations of corruption. His administration also committed some significant policy blunders.
Truman was a dogged campaigner and won with a majority of more than 250,000 votes. His campaigning surpassed that of his Republican challenger, Thomas E. Dewey, who raked in fewer votes than his rival.
In addition to his political career, Truman was involved in the family business of a livestock trader. He also owned a small mining company and ran a battery. He was also a member of the National Guard.
Zachary Taylor
Besides Andrew Johnson, Zachary Taylor is the only president in United States history who did not obtain a degree in law or political science. He was a career officer in the army, and is best known for his victory in the Mexican-American War.
Taylor spent his early life on the frontier of Kentucky and Virginia. His parents migrated to Kentucky when he was young. They lived near modern-day Louisville and raised their son on a plantation.
Taylor joined the Army at a young age and grew into a renowned general. His military career spanned four decades. He served in garrison posts across the country and fought in the Black Hawk War and Second Seminole War. He earned the nickname “Old Rough and Ready” after winning major victories in the Mexican-American War.
Taylor was elected president of the United States in 1849. His term of office was short, however, and his presidency did not have a significant impact. In fact, most historians view Taylor as a non-political president.
Taylor’s stance on slavery was moderate. He advocated allowing the people of the United States to decide whether to allow slavery to go into new western territories. This idea angered many southerners, who believed that slavery should not be allowed in the west.
Taylor also disagreed with the Compromise of 1850, which granted California admission to the Union as a free state, and abolished the slave trade in Washington, D.C., as well as the fugitive slave law. Nevertheless, Taylor led the nation through debates on slavery. He did not defend slavery or southern sectionalism, but instead was more interested in preserving the Union.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Taylor’s son fought in the war. His daughter married Jefferson Davis in 1835.
Dr. Elwood Gordon Gee
During the past thirty years, Gee has led several universities and institutions. He has served as president of the University of Utah, the University of Colorado, and The Ohio State University. Earlier, he was an associate dean of the law school at Brigham Young University.
He has served on many boards and education-governance committees. He is the author of several papers on education. He has been a member of the National 4-H Council and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Board of Directors. He has also served on the steering committee for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. He has received a number of honorary degrees.
Gee was the chair of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Higher Education Attainment. He also served as co-chair of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Energy Advisory Committee. He was invited to join the International Advisory Board of King Adbulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. He received the Outstanding Academic Leader of the Year Award from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is a member of the Business-Higher Education Forum and the Christopher Isherwood Foundation Board. He is also a member of the Education Advisory Board Presidents Advisory Council.
He has also served as the chair of the executive committee of the Big 12 Board of Directors for the 2017-18 year. He was also a member of the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors Executive Committee for the 2012-13 season.
He also serves on the board of directors for L Brands. He is considered an independent director. He has served on the board of directors for Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Limited Brands, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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