Garfield is one of the most intelligent president s we have ever had. He is up there in the top half dozen and when we go through his life, by the end of the middle of it, and youre going to say no, that cant be. He cant be that good in that field. Its just not possible, and then well find something else, and youre going to no. He is just incredibly bright, and the hope for his presidency was enormous, and were going to discuss an absolutely brilliant human being. I was chatting with a friend before, and he asked me if i thought garfield was the most intelligent. I dont know how you test Something Like that, and its not as if you give president s iq tests. Its a lot easier with things that are easy to measure, tall ask short. We all know that madison was our shortest president , lincoln was our tallest president because thats easy. I dont know how you know who the most intelligent. Certainly the two adams, jefferson, madison and Lincoln Garfield is right up there. So one of the reasons
Were now in the billiard room which is one of the rooms that was built as part of the addition that the blaines made to the house in 1872. This is also a room which has been a place to hang photographs and in some cases the christmas cards of the previous first families. The first family was the millikens, and this is a large family, Carl Milliken and his wife are shown in the photograph along with their large family. There have been 21 families who have called the blaine house their home from the millikins in 1920 to currently Governor Paul Lepage and his wife first Lady Ann Lepage beginning in 2011. Today when we think of james g. Blaine in maine, i think we think primarily of the blaine house. It really is a symbol of both the maine governorship. Thus the equating of the name blaine with the Governors Mansion really keeps his name alive and in the public today. The cspan radio app makes it easy to continue to follow the 2016 election wherever you are. Its free to download from the A
Harriet blaine beal donated the house and grounds to the state of maine for the purpose of a governors home. Sadly Harriet Blaine beal had lost her son, Walker Blaine beal, in world war i and he had actually owned the house and then upon his death the house reverted back to her and she, recognizing it probably wasnt going to go on in the family and negotiation that recognizing the need that maine had and the close proximity of the blaine house to our statehouse across the street she donated the house for the purpose of the governors home. This is the state reception room. When the house was built in 1833 this was two rooms and then when the blaines acquired the house in 1862, in 69 and again in 1872 they made some major changes to the house which included opening up both these two rooms into one big reception room. This really reflects the fact that in the blaine period of ownership from 1862 into the early 1900s that there was a lot of entertaining that went on in the house related to
Along with their large family. There have been 21 families who have called the blaine house their home from the millikins in 1920 to currently Governor Paul Lepage and his wife first Lady Ann Lepage beginning in 2011. Today when we think of james g. Blaine in maine, i think we think primarily of the blaine house. It really is a symbol of both the maine governorship. And also of the state of maine as a whole. I think it is probably as well known a house as any in the state, and thus the equating of the name blaine with the Governors Mansion really keeps his name alive and in the public today. The cspan radio app makes it easy to follow the 2016 election wherever you are. It is free to download from the Apple App Store or google play. Get audio coverage and up to the minute Schedule Information for cspan radio and cspan television, plus podcast times for our popular public affairs, book and history programs. Stay up to date on all the election coverage. Cspans radio app means you always
I know exactly the year, with then congressman Dick Gephardt who was running for president. And i knew dick quite well and i was chatting with him and i asked him, do you know the last member of the house who was elected from the house to become president . And he said no. I said, well, let me give you a hint. Do you know who the only member of the house who was elected straight from the house to be president . And he still said no. And i said garfield. And he said they shot him. And i said youre running for the job, im not. But garfield, as well see, in a brief period was president elect, senatorelect from ohio and sitting congressman all at the same time. Fascinating, fascinating guy. At the time he was elected president , he was by far the youngest president we had had in American History to that date. Only two american president s in our history died before reaching the age of 50, kennedy and garfield. Obviously both for sad reasons. But hes the only house member, and im trying to