Prepop Sez

Monday, October 24, 2022

Let's get Presidential

George Sullivan wrote a fun book about U.S. Presidents in 1987 for the Scholastic Program. Let me mention a few things he found out:

01. Size

Our tallest President, of course, was Abraham Lincoln, at 6'4".

Our shortest President was James Madison, at 5'4".

02. Next in Line

In case the President is incapacitated or dies in office there is a line of succession.

At first, the Vice President takes over. If that isn't workable, the following line of succession takes over:

1. Speaker of the House

2. President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

3. Secretary of State.

4. Secretary of the Treasury.

Followed by all the secretaries in order until the last in line: Secretary of Education.

Remember: When Nixon was forced to resign, nobody wanted crooked Vice President Spiro T. Agnew to become President so he was given a choice: Resign or go to jail on corruption charges.

He chose to resign, giving the next in line, Gerald Ford, Speaker of the House, the job of President.

Elaine and I watched a movie a while ago, where the President and others were all killed, leaving this last in line Secretary of Education to run the country. I think he did a good job.

I don't think this was related to the Succession HBO movie. I could be wrong.

03. Salary

Presidential compensation:

George Washington through Ulysses S. Grant's first term; $25,000.

Ulysses S. Grant's second term through Theodore Roosevelt; $50,000.

William H. Taft through Franklin D. Roosevelt: $75,000 salary plus $25,000 travel allowance

Harry S. Truman through Lyndon B. Johnson; $100,000 salary plus $40,000 Travel and Entertainment and $50,000 Expense Account

Richard M. Nixon through Ronald Reagan; $200,000 plus $40,000 Travel and Entertaiment and $50,000 Expense Account.

As of January 20, 2001, the President's salary was increased to $400,000 with an expense account of $50,000.

04. Education

These Presidents did not attend college:

George Washington