The United States of America has had a variety of presidents since its founding, but who is the most recent president who has not graduated from college? Several candidates have come up, including George Washington, Millard Fillmore, Amy Gutmann, and Harry Truman. We’ll take a closer look at each of them to learn more about their backgrounds and how they’ve been involved in the political arena.
George Washington
Although many people believe that President George Washington is the most famous US president ever, he did not have a college education. However, this did not mean he did not get a good education. He studied and learned from people and books, mainly from his mentors.
The first president of the United States is known for his leadership abilities. He was a major player in the founding of the American government. His support helped ratify the new Constitution, and his example set a great precedent for future presidents.
Washington is also remembered for his achievements off the battlefield. He served as an important commander in the French and Indian War, a war that led to the formation of the US. Later, he became a large landowner.
When Washington was a young man, he was hired as a surveyor. This allowed him to take measurements of new lands as they were being surveyed. It is believed that his early training helped him when he was a young soldier in a foreign terrain.
In 1789, he was elected President of the United States. Washington served two terms. As the chief executive, he formed a cabinet with friends like Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
George Washington also presided over the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention in 1787. While in office, he promoted some notable, younger men, including Alexander Hamilton.
He was also a good judge of talent. After leaving the presidency, he became a very successful landowner. Sadly, he never had children of his own. But his children were raised from his former marriage.
One of the most important achievements of George Washington’s presidency was the founding of the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.
Harry Truman
Unlike most US presidents who have attended college, Harry S. Truman never graduated from a university or law school. He was born in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884.
During World War II, Truman became the 33rd president of the United States. He is best known for dropping the atomic bomb on Japan, which ended the war in the Pacific.
However, during his term, he also presided over unprecedented economic growth, as well as notable domestic successes. His administration went beyond the New Deal in the area of civil rights.
As a young man, Truman had dreams of becoming a great soldier. He served in France during the World War I as a captain in the Field Artillery. In 1917, Truman joined the Missouri National Guard, and his National Guard unit shipped out to France. After the war, he returned to his grandparents’ farm in Independence, Missouri.
At age 23, he graduated from the Independence High School. Later, he took night classes at the Kansas City School of Law.
When he began his political career, he was a member of the Democratic Party. He won a seat in the Senate in 1934. Before World War II, he operated an oil and mining company.
He then worked in two large banks in Kansas City. A few years later, he opened a haberdashery.
During his first term, he faced unprecedented international challenges. Among them was the looming threat of Soviet communism. Nonetheless, he used the Marshall Plan to rebuild European economies.
When he retired from politics, he lived a long life. He died of pneumonia at age 88. Though his legacy has been bolstered in recent years, many scholars still believe that Truman miscalculated his political tenor.
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States. He was born on January 7, 1800 in Locke Township, New York. His parents were poor farmers. When he was a child, Millard began working on his family’s farm. After a few years, he studied law at a local judge’s office. In 1823, he was admitted to the New York bar.
Fillmore married Abigail Powers in 1826. They had two children. The couple moved to Buffalo in 1858. McIntosh died in 1868.
In the 1860 presidential election, Fillmore supported Senator Douglas. Fillmore was also a member of the Anti-Masonic Party. Although he was a staunch Union supporter, Fillmore became a critic of Lincoln’s policies.
During the Civil War, Fillmore was outspoken against Lincoln’s presidency. His insistence on federal enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 alienated the North.
Despite his outspoken opposition to Lincoln’s policies, Millard Fillmore was elected as vice president in 1848. During the Compromise of 1850, Fillmore supported admission of California as a free state. This averted a sectional crisis.
Fillmore stayed involved in civic affairs after his political career ended. He served as the chancellor of the University of Buffalo. He founded the first official White House library.
Millard Fillmore died on March 8, 1874 in Buffalo, New York. A pink obelisk marks his grave.
Fillmore’s political career paved the way for the establishment of a two-party system. At one point, Fillmore was chair of the Ways and Means Committee. But he lost his bid for the speakership of the House of Representatives in 1841.
Fillmore also helped to restore American goodwill in Latin America. He sent a message to Napoleon III when he tried to annex the Hawaiian Islands.
Dr. Elwood Gordon Gee
Elwood Gordon Gee was born in Vernal, Utah. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Utah. After graduating, he attended Columbia University Law School. His judicial clerkship was with Chief Justice Warren Burger of the United States Supreme Court.
Elwood Gordon Gee was also a Mellon fellow for two years. He is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi, the American Bar Association and the Administrative Conference of the United States.
The National Academy of Engineering deemed him a great leader. Gee’s accomplishments included his efforts to improve engineering education. He was also responsible for launching a unique pre-college course on engineering principles.
The National Science Foundation funded his Engineering for US All initiative. This program was a joint venture between the university, the private sector and government. It aims to provide a wide range of free educational resources to improve science and technology education.
Gee is also a member of the President’s Council for Imagining America. In this role, he is a part of a new, national center for public policy and higher education.
During his time as president of Ohio State University, Gee was a force to be reckoned with. He introduced a number of significant initiatives and forged a strong relationship with local communities.
During his tenure, the college earned an impressive ranking in the National Association of Colleges and Universities Director’s Cup. Nevertheless, his reputation was marred by controversies. For instance, in 2002, he announced plans to rename Confederate Memorial Hall to the “Gee Hall.” A string of lawsuits followed.
As a result, he was not able to complete his duties as president of the college. However, he served as interim president until Gee returned.
Amy Gutmann
Amy Gutmann is one of the world’s most respected scholars in democratic political theory. Her scholarship is distinguished by rigor, clarity, and relevance. It is marked by her commitment to improving the quality of life of people around the globe.
Gutmann earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard-Radcliffe College, and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics. She received her doctorate in political science from Harvard University. In 2004, she became the eighth president of the University of Pennsylvania, where she serves today.
After earning her PhD, Gutmann went on to teach at Princeton University. She also served as the provost at the school for six years. In addition to her role as Penn’s president, Gutmann holds several academic titles.
Since becoming President of the University of Pennsylvania, Gutmann has overseen a major expansion of the school’s endowment from $4 billion to $20.5 billion. She has also doubled the number of first-generation students at the university. At the same time, her administration has focused on attracting a diverse group of students and faculty.
In her inaugural address, Gutmann launched the Penn Compact, a plan to expand the school’s presence in Philadelphia. The plan aims to improve the university’s diversity by bringing in top-caliber faculty and increasing access to a Penn education.
Aside from promoting diversity, Gutmann’s administration has focused on providing the best facilities and programs to advance learning. Gutmann also led a massive fundraising campaign. Known as Making History, the campaign raised $4.3 billion. This figure exceeded the goal by $800 million.
One of the largest campaigns Gutmann led, Penn Connects, aimed to transform a former industrial zone into an attractive and vibrant area of town. The project was made possible through a $25 million gift from William A. Franke, a philanthropist.
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