Happy Birthday Millard Fillmore
Every year on this day (January 7th) a ceremony is held at the grave of President Millard Fillmore at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo New York. Faculty, staff, students, administrators and friends of the University of Buffalo gather at Fillmore’s gravesite at Buffalo's Forest Lawn Cemetery to mark the birthday of the university’s first chancellor, who also happens to be the 13th president of the United States and the founder of many Buffalo institutions, like the Buffalo History Museum, the Buffalo Historical Society, Buffalo General Hospital and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. On January 7, 1800 (215 years ago today) Millard Fillmore was born in Moravia, Cayuga County, in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.
Millard Fillmore was the last President to be a member of the Whig Party. As Zachary Taylor's Vice President, he assumed the presidency on July 9, 1850, following Taylor's death. Fillmore was a lawyer from western New York state, and one of the first members of the Whig Party. He served in the state legislature from 1829 to 1831, as a U.S. Representative for two non-consecutive terms (1833–1835 and 1837–1843), and as New York State Comptroller from 1848 to 1849. He was elected Vice President of the United States in 1848 as Taylor's running mate, and served from 1849 until Taylor's death in 1850, at the height of the "Crisis of 1850" over slavery. When the Compromise of 1850 was proposed, it was ironic that Fillmore the northerner supported it, while Taylor, the southerner and slave holder, opposed it.
Fillmore had been an anti-slavery moderate, but not an abolitionist, and he opposed abolitionist demands to exclude slavery from all of the territory gained in the Mexican War. Instead he supported the Compromise of 1850, which briefly ended the crisis, though his critics argue that he merely kicked the problem down the road. In foreign policy, Fillmore supported U.S. Navy expeditions to open up trade with Japan, he opposed French designs on Hawaii, and also opposed Narciso López's "filibuster" expeditions to liberate Cuba from Spain. He sought re-election in 1852, but lost his party's nomination to General Winfield Scott.
When the Whig Party broke up prior to the 1856 election, Fillmore and other conservative Whigs joined the American Party, the political arm of the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic "Know-Nothing" movement. He was selected as the American Party candidate for President in 1856, but finished third, with 21.6% of the popular vote and only Maryland's 8 electoral votes.
During the American Civil War, Fillmore denounced secession and agreed that the Union must be maintained by force if necessary, but he was also very critical of the war policies of President Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln died, an angry mob splashed ink on Fillmore's house because he did not follow the custom of decorating the home with black bunting. After the war, he supported the Reconstruction policies of President Andrew Johnson. He died at 11:10 pm on March 8, 1874, at his home in Buffalo following a stroke. His last words are alleged to be, "the nourishment is palatable", referring to some soup that he was being fed.
Today, the remarks at the 2015 Fillmore commemoration are being delivered by Robert Goller, Town of Aurora historian, who will provide an account of Fillmore's early days. Although he was born in Moravia, Cayuga County, Fillmore started his law practice in East Aurora and built a house there for himself and his wife, Abigail. The tradition to honor Fillmore began in 1937. From 1937 until 1965, the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Board of Education hosted the event. The annual ceremonies were administered by Irving R. Templeton. Responsibility for planning the commemoration was passed on to the University of Buffalo when Templeton died in 1965. The university took over the ceremony and made it a community event starting in 1966.
If you happen to be around Buffalo today and want to attend, registration is encouraged at this link.
Millard Fillmore was the last President to be a member of the Whig Party. As Zachary Taylor's Vice President, he assumed the presidency on July 9, 1850, following Taylor's death. Fillmore was a lawyer from western New York state, and one of the first members of the Whig Party. He served in the state legislature from 1829 to 1831, as a U.S. Representative for two non-consecutive terms (1833–1835 and 1837–1843), and as New York State Comptroller from 1848 to 1849. He was elected Vice President of the United States in 1848 as Taylor's running mate, and served from 1849 until Taylor's death in 1850, at the height of the "Crisis of 1850" over slavery. When the Compromise of 1850 was proposed, it was ironic that Fillmore the northerner supported it, while Taylor, the southerner and slave holder, opposed it.
Fillmore had been an anti-slavery moderate, but not an abolitionist, and he opposed abolitionist demands to exclude slavery from all of the territory gained in the Mexican War. Instead he supported the Compromise of 1850, which briefly ended the crisis, though his critics argue that he merely kicked the problem down the road. In foreign policy, Fillmore supported U.S. Navy expeditions to open up trade with Japan, he opposed French designs on Hawaii, and also opposed Narciso López's "filibuster" expeditions to liberate Cuba from Spain. He sought re-election in 1852, but lost his party's nomination to General Winfield Scott.
When the Whig Party broke up prior to the 1856 election, Fillmore and other conservative Whigs joined the American Party, the political arm of the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic "Know-Nothing" movement. He was selected as the American Party candidate for President in 1856, but finished third, with 21.6% of the popular vote and only Maryland's 8 electoral votes.
During the American Civil War, Fillmore denounced secession and agreed that the Union must be maintained by force if necessary, but he was also very critical of the war policies of President Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln died, an angry mob splashed ink on Fillmore's house because he did not follow the custom of decorating the home with black bunting. After the war, he supported the Reconstruction policies of President Andrew Johnson. He died at 11:10 pm on March 8, 1874, at his home in Buffalo following a stroke. His last words are alleged to be, "the nourishment is palatable", referring to some soup that he was being fed.
Today, the remarks at the 2015 Fillmore commemoration are being delivered by Robert Goller, Town of Aurora historian, who will provide an account of Fillmore's early days. Although he was born in Moravia, Cayuga County, Fillmore started his law practice in East Aurora and built a house there for himself and his wife, Abigail. The tradition to honor Fillmore began in 1937. From 1937 until 1965, the City of Buffalo and the Buffalo Board of Education hosted the event. The annual ceremonies were administered by Irving R. Templeton. Responsibility for planning the commemoration was passed on to the University of Buffalo when Templeton died in 1965. The university took over the ceremony and made it a community event starting in 1966.
If you happen to be around Buffalo today and want to attend, registration is encouraged at this link.