American Diplomacy

American Diplomacy

Volume I, Number 1, 1996

 

U. S. Presidents, Military Service, and the Electorate — Table 1

U. S. Presidential Candidates Prior Military Service, 1789-1992

(Army Service Unless Noted Otherwise)

Presidents & Nominees 1 Election Years Veteran Yes / No Highest Rank 2 Period(s) of Active Duty
George Washington 1789, 1792 X Gen. & Cmdr.-in-Chief 3 1752-59, 1775-83
John Adams 1789, 1792,1796, 1800 X n/a n/a
George Clinton 1792, 1808 X Brig. Gen 1758, 1777
Thomas Jefferson 1796, 1800, 1804 X n/a n/a
Thomas Pinckney 1796 X Maj.Gen 1775-82, 1812-14
Aaron Burr 1796, 1800 X Lt. Col. 1775-79
Charles C. Pinckney 1804, 1808 X Brig. Gen. 1775-83
James Madison 1808, 1812 X n/a n/a
DeWitt Clinton 1812 X n/a n/a
James Monroe 1816, 1820 X Maj. 1776-78
Rufus King 1816 X Volunt. 1778
John Q. Adams 1820, 1824, 1828 X n/a n/a
Andrew Jackson 1824, 1828, 1832 X Maj. Gen. 1779, 1791 1802-1821
Henry Clay 1824, 1832 X n/a n/a
William H. Crawford 1824 X n/a n/a
William Wirt 1832 X Capt. 1814
Martin Van Buren 1836, 1840, 1848 X n/a n/a
Hugh L. White 1836 X Volunt. 1793, 1813
Daniel Webster 1836 X n/a n/a
William H. Harrison 1836, 1840 X Brig. Gen. 1791-98, 1811-14
Presidents & Nominees Election Years Veteran Yes / No Highest Rank Period(s) of Active Duty
John Tyler -- 4 X n/a n/a
James K. Polk 1844 X n/a n/a
Zachary Taylor 1848 X Maj. Gen. 1808-15, 1816-48
Lewis Cass 1848 X Maj. Gen. 1812-13
Franklin Pierce 1852 X n/a n/a
Winfield Scott 1852 X Maj. Gen. 5 1807-48, 1861
James Buchanan 1856 X Pvt. 1814
John C. Fremont 1856 X Lt. Col. 6 1833-48, 1861-62
Millard Fillmore 7 1856 X n/a n/a
Abraham Lincoln 1860, 1864 X Capt. 1832
Stephen A. Douglas 1860 X n/a n/a
John C. Breckinridge 1860 X Maj. 8 1847-48, 1861-65
John Bell 1860 X n/a n/a
George B. McClellan 1864 X Maj. Gen. 1846-62
Andrew Johnson -- 9 X Brig. Gen. 1862-65
Ulysses S. Grant 1868, 1872 X Lt. Gen. 1843-54, 1861-68
Horatio Seymour 1868 X n/a n/a
Horace Greeley 1872 X n/a n/a
Rutherford B. Hayes 1876 X Maj. Gen. 1861-64
Samuel J. Tilden 1876 X n/a n/a
James A. Garfield 1880 X Maj. Gen. 1861-65
Winfield S. Hancock 1880 X Maj. Gen. 1844-86
Chester A. Arthur -- 10 X Qtr.Mstr.Gen. 11 1861-63
Grover Cleveland 1884, 1888, 1892 X n/a n/a
James G. Blaine 1884 X n/a n/a
Presidents & Nominees Election Years Veteran Yes / No Highest Rank Period(s) of Active Duty
Benjamin Harrison 1888, 1892 X Brig. Gen. 1862-65
James B. Weaver 1880, 1892 X Brig. Gen. 1861-64
William McKinley 1896, 1900 X Maj. 1861-65
William J. Bryan 1896, 1900, 1908 X Col. 1898
Theodore Roosevelt 12 1904, 1912 X Col. 1898
Alton B. Parker 1904 X n/a n/a
William H. Taft 1908, 1912 X n/a n/a
Woodrow Wilson 1912, 1916 X n/a n/a
Eugene V. Debs 1904, 1908, 1912, 1920 X n/a n/a
Charles E. Hughes 1916 X n/a n/a
Warren G. Harding 1920 X n/a n/a
James M. Cox 1920 X n/a n/a
Calvin Coolidge 13 1924 X n/a n/a
John W. Davis 1924 X n/a n/a
Robert M. La Follette 1924 X n/a n/a
Herbert C. Hoover 1928, 1932 X n/a n/a
Alfred E. Smith 1928 X n/a n/a
Franklin D. Roosevelt 14 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944 X n/a n/a
Alfred M. Landon 1936 X n/a n/a
Wendell L. Willkie 1940 X 1st Lt. 1917-18
Thomas E. Dewey 1944, 1948 X n/a n/a
Harry S. Truman 15 1948 X Capt. 1917-19
J. Strom Thurmond 1948 X Lt. Col. 16 1942-46
Presidents & Nominees Election Years Veteran Yes / No Highest Rank Period(s) of Active Duty
Henry A. Wallace 1948 X Capt. 1917-19
Dwight D. Eisenhower 1952, 1956 X Gen. of the Army 1915-48, 1951-52
Adlai E. Stevenson 1952, 1956 X 17 Capt. 1917-19
John F. Kennedy 1960 X Lt. (j.g.) (Navy) 1941-45
Richard M. Nixon 1960, 1968 X Lt. Cdr. (Navy) 1942-46
Lyndon B. Johnson 18 1964 X Lt. Cdr. (Navy) 1942
Barry M. Goldwater 1964 X Lt. Col. 19 1941-45
Hubert H. Humphrey 1968 X Capt. 1917-19
George C. Wallace 1968 X Sgt. 20 1942-45
George S. McGovern 1972 X 1st Lt. 21 1943-45
Jimmy Carter 1976, 1980 X Lt. (Navy) 1946-53
Gerald R. Ford, Jr. 22 1976 X Lt.Cdr. (Navy) 1942-46
John B. Anderson 1980 X Capt. 1917-19
Ronald W. Reagan 1980, 1984 X Capt. 23 1942-45
Walter F. Mondale 1984 X Cpl. 1951-53
Michael S. Dukakis 1988 X Spec. 3d 1955-57
George H. W. Bush 1988, 1992 X Lt. (j.g.) (Navy) 1942-45
William J. Clinton 1992 X Capt. 1917-19
H. Ross Perot 1992 X Lt. (Navy) 1953-57

Endnotes

Note 1: The names of those who became President in italics.  Back

Note 2: Including brevet, or temporary, ranks sometimes not awarded until completion of service.  Back

Note 3: The First Continental Congress elected Washington "to command all the Continental forces. . ." without specifying his precise rank. Journals of the Continental Congress, II, 91.  Back

Note 4: Elected Vice President 1840, assumed Presidency 1841 upon the death of William H. Harrison.  Back

Note 5: In 1848, Congress voted Scott the rank of lieutenant general, but the promotion did not become effective until 1855, after his run for the Presidency.  Back

Note 6: FremontÕs Civil War rank was major general.  Back

Note 7: Elected Vice President 1848, assumed Presidency 1850 upon death of Zachary Taylor.  Back

Note 8: Breckenridge's Civil War rank was major general.  Back

Note 9: Elected Vice President 1864, assumed Presidency 1865 upon the death of Abraham Lincoln.  Back

Note 10: Elected Vice President 1880, assumed Presidency 1881 upon the death of James A. Garfield.  Back

Note 11: Arthur's functional title with the New York militia, not a military rank.  Back

Note 12: Elected Vice President 1900, assumed Presidency 1901 upon the death of William McKinley; elected President 1904.  Back

Note 13: Elected Vice President 1920, assumed Presidency 1923 upon the death of Warren G. Harding; elected President 1924.  Back

Note 14: Held senior civilian position as assistant secretary of the Navy, 1913-1920.  Back

Note 15: Elected Vice President 1944, assumed Presidency 1945 upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt; elected President 1948.  Back

Note 16: Attained the rank of major general in the reserves after his run for the Presidency.  Back

Note 17: Held civilian position in the Dept. of Navy during World War II.  Back

Note 18: Elected Vice President 1960, assumed Presidency 1963 upon the death of John F. Kennedy; elected President 1964.  Back

Note 19: Held the rank of Air Force brigadier general in the reserves when he ran for the Presidency in 1964; retired as a major general of reserves in 1967.  Back

Note 20: U. S. Army Air Forces.  Back

Note 21: U. S. Army Air Forces.  Back

Note 22: Appointed Vice President 1973 upon resignation of Spiro T. Agnew, assumed Presidency 1974 upon resignation of Richard M. Nixon.  Back

Note 23: U. S. Army Air Forces.  Back