Book Description

Rutherford B. Hayes is today best remembered for serving his one term as President of the United States (1877 to 1881). But how did he become the person who was elected in 1876? This classic biography, first published in late 1876 (before the election) shows where Rutherford Hayes came from, how he grew to be the man he became, and how the politician evolved, from his school, law, and military careers, to his time in Congress, his three terms as governor of Ohio, and then his nomination to the Presidency. Historian J.Q. Howard drew liberally from Hayes' public documents and pronouncements, and includes many letters and speeches written by Hayes, in order to draw this picture of the man who--soon after the publication of this book*—became the 19th President. Also included are the complete texts of six important speeches from Hayes' non-consecutive terms as governor. This new edition of the classic biography shows President Hayes from a viewpoint nearly impossible to get today, written as it was before Hayes' election, while he was a current political figure on the rise. About the author (from the Report of Herbert Putnam, the Librarian of Congress, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1913): "Another death during the past year particularly to be noted was that of James Quay Howard. Born in 1836, Mr. Howard had had a varied experience before coming to the Library, having been successively principal of an academy, a lawyer, United States consul at St. Johns, New Brunswick, editor of the Ohio State Journal, and an official in the Customs Service at New York, where in 1880 he became appraiser. For two years he served as a special agent of the United States Census. Entering the Library in 1894, first in the copyright work, he was in 1897 assigned to the charge of the 'Congressional Reference library, ' which position he held at the time of his death, with his headquarters in the Representatives' Reading Room. Mr. Howard was of serious and scholarly mind, and his studies were coterminous with his long career. His contributions to public journals were numerous, and a campaign life of Lincoln which he wrote has been termed the first signed biography of Lincoln ever published. Mr. Howard also wrote a campaign biography of Rutherford B. Hayes, and he was the author of a History of the Louisiana Purchase."