- NAME – William McKinley
Library of Congress - NICKNAME(S) – Idol of Ohio
- BIRTH / DEATH – Jan. 29, 1843 Niles, Ohio / Buffalo, New York
- FATHER – iron manufacturer
- MOTHER – housewife
- COLLEGE – Allegheny College / Albany Law School
- WIFE – Ida Sexton
- KIDS – two daughters (both died young)
- PETS – parrot named “Washington Post”; Angora cats (Valeriano Weyler & Enrique DeLome); roosters
- RELIGION – Methodist
- ANCESTRY – Scotch – Irish
- AGE – 54
FIRSTS:
– first to have his Vice President die in office
– first to ride in a car
MA AND PA: Both of his grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War. His father worked twelve hour shifts at an iron foundry, but still found time to read to his kids from the Bible, Shakespeare, and Dante. He died four years before William, Jr. became President. His mother was devout and hoped he would become a bishop. He had a special telephone line set up when he was President and they talked daily. She died at age 88. Parents
BACKGROUND:
– 7th of 9 kids
– dropped out of college when his family lost everything in the Panic of 1857
– taught at a local school
– postal clerk
– at age 18, he joined the Union Army and rose to Major
– lawyer
– fourteen years in Congress
– two terms as Governor of Ohio
FIRST LADY: He met Ida at a church picnic. His wife never fully recovered from the deaths of two daughters and her mother in a two year period. She suffered from epileptic seizures and depression. She spent most of her days in a rocking chair knitting, crocheting, or reading. If one of her fits occurred during a banquet, he would place a napkin over her face and continue entertaining the guests. Ida hated the color yellow and had it removed from the White House.
DEATH:
– before he passed away, he said “Good bye to all, good bye. It is God’s way. His will be done.” When his wife responded by saying “I want to go, too”, he said “we are all going” and died.
TRIVIA:
– he fought in the Battle of Antietam
– as a child, he loved fishing, horse, and swimming
– he was the fifth President from Ohio in a 28 year period
– he is on the $500 bill
– both his grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War
– he did not want to be the first President to leave the U.S. so when he visited Niagara Falls, he stopped at the midway point of the bridge
ANECDOTES:
THE ASSASSINATION – Leon Czolgosz was an anarchist who wanted to show his displeasure with society by killing a priest. When he told his idea to a friend, the friend told him that there were so many priests that if he killed one, hundreds would come to the funeral. Czolgosz realized he needed to go for bigger game. When he learned McKinley was coming to the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, he made plans to assassinate him. The President’s secretary, George Cortelyou, was concerned with security and tried to talk McKinley out of shaking hands with crowds. He told the President that after his speech there would only be ten minutes to shake hands and that meant few people could press the President’s flesh. McKinley responded by saying that at least the crowd would know he tried. Plus, McKinley was very proud of his machine-like hand-shaking technique. He could shake forty-five hands per minute. He was in the process of shaking hands when Czolgosz reached the front of the line. He had one hand bandaged to conceal the pistol. He shot McKinley twice. One bullet was deflected by a button, the other penetrated his abdomen. As the Secret Service wrestled the assassin to the ground, McKinley told his guards not to hurt the man. One month and a half later, Csolgosz was electrocuted. Shenkman 185-7
Library of Congress
THE TRIP TO TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE – Before his famous visit to the White House to dine with Teddy Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington made an unannounced visit to see President McKinley. Washington had heard that the President was coming to Atlanta for the “Peace Jubilee” to mark the end of the Spanish-American War. His all-black college was only 140 miles away and Washington thought it would be great for race relations for the President to visit. Since the visit was unannounced, the President’s secretary made it clear that it was unlikely Washington would be able to see McKinley. However, Washington’s card pulled enough weight and the President was pleased to meet him. He was open to the idea, but before a second meeting to finalize the arrangements, there were several unrelated race riots in the South. McKinley viewed the incidents as more reason to show “faith in the race”. On Dec. 10, 1898, McKinley made the trip to Tuskegee, Alabama. A big crowd of blacks and whites greeted him. He was accompanied by numerous newspaper reporters, state legislators, the governor, and cabinet members. There was a parade of floats and speeches, including by the President. Kelly 132