The Obscure Presidents: Benjamin Harrison-Part III (Post-Presidency)
After being defeated in his bid for re-election to the presidency, the recently widowed Benjamin Harrison left office, planning a return to his legal practice. He visited the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in June 1893, where the nation's first commemorative postage was introduced. This had an initiative of Harrison's Postmaster General, John Wanamaker. After the Expo, Harrison returned to his home in Indianapolis.
In 1894, Harrison traveled to San Francisco, California, where he stayed for a few months and gave law lectures at Stanford University. In 1896 some of Harrison's friends in the Republican party tried to convince him to seek his party's nomination for president but he declined. Harrison had alienated certain factions of the party for his failure to let the party bosses distribute patronage. When William McKinley was selected as the party's candidate, Harrison traveled around the nation as one of a number of surrogates who made campaign appearances and speeches in support of McKinley's candidacy.
From July 1895 to March 1901 Harrison served on the Board of Trustees of Purdue University. Harrison Hall, a dormitory on that campus, was named in his honor. He wrote a series of articles about the Federal government and the presidency which were republished in 1897 as a book titled This Country of Ours.
In 1896, Harrison who was then 62 years of age, married Mary Scott Lord Dimmick, the widowed 37-year- old niece and former secretary of his deceased wife. Harrison's two adult children, Russell, 41 years old at the time, and Mary (Mamie) McKee, 38, both disapproved of the marriage. Neither of them attended the wedding. Benjamin and Mary had one child together, a daughter named Elizabeth, who was born on February 21, 1897.
In 1899 Harrison attended the First Peace Conference at The Hague. The peace conference was proposed on August 24, 1898 by Russian Tsar Nicholas II. The conference opened on May 18, 1899 an resulted in a number of treaties on the resolution of international conflicts. In 1900, Harrison was retained to act as an attorney for the Republic of Venezuela in their dispute with Great Britain over the boundary of British Guiana. An international trial was held by agreement of the nations and Harrison filed an 800-page brief on behalf of his client. He traveled to Paris where he spent more than 25 hours in court. Ultimately his client lost the case, but Harrison's legal arguments won him praise for his abilities as legal counsel in the field of international law.
When he returned home from Paris, Harrison later developed what was thought to be influenza or grippe in February 1901. He was treated with steam vapor inhalation and oxygen, but his condition only became worse. Benjamin Harrison died from pneumonia at his home on Wednesday, March 13, 1901, at the age of 67. Harrison is interred in Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery, next to Caroline. After her death, Mary Dimmick Harrison was buried next to him.
Although Benjamin Harrison is one of the least remembered presidents, he was ahead of his time in many ways, especially in the field of civil rights and in seeing education as a way for many to escape poverty. His reputation for integrity was justified, especially for his refusal to give away patronage to the party bosses. He paid a political price for this, but he was willing to do so. The bi-partisan Sherman Anti-Trust Act signed into law by Harrison remains in place today. Harrison's support for African American voting rights and education would be the last significant attempts to protect civil rights until the mid 20th century. His foreign policy in standing behind American history with "big stick" diplomacy, his concern about food safety, hios desire for a strong navy and his opposition to monopolies and trusts were all emulated by Theodore Roosevelt. It is probably fair to say that Harrison was a good president, but he was not a good politician.
In 1951, Harrison's home was opened to the public as a library and museum. I visited there in 2010 and it was a very pleasant experience. The volunteer staff there were very helpful and knowledgeable, and they would all gladly go out and campaign for their man if he was running for president today.
Tomorrow, we move on to a new Obscure President: Chester Alan Arthur.
In 1894, Harrison traveled to San Francisco, California, where he stayed for a few months and gave law lectures at Stanford University. In 1896 some of Harrison's friends in the Republican party tried to convince him to seek his party's nomination for president but he declined. Harrison had alienated certain factions of the party for his failure to let the party bosses distribute patronage. When William McKinley was selected as the party's candidate, Harrison traveled around the nation as one of a number of surrogates who made campaign appearances and speeches in support of McKinley's candidacy.
From July 1895 to March 1901 Harrison served on the Board of Trustees of Purdue University. Harrison Hall, a dormitory on that campus, was named in his honor. He wrote a series of articles about the Federal government and the presidency which were republished in 1897 as a book titled This Country of Ours.
In 1896, Harrison who was then 62 years of age, married Mary Scott Lord Dimmick, the widowed 37-year- old niece and former secretary of his deceased wife. Harrison's two adult children, Russell, 41 years old at the time, and Mary (Mamie) McKee, 38, both disapproved of the marriage. Neither of them attended the wedding. Benjamin and Mary had one child together, a daughter named Elizabeth, who was born on February 21, 1897.
In 1899 Harrison attended the First Peace Conference at The Hague. The peace conference was proposed on August 24, 1898 by Russian Tsar Nicholas II. The conference opened on May 18, 1899 an resulted in a number of treaties on the resolution of international conflicts. In 1900, Harrison was retained to act as an attorney for the Republic of Venezuela in their dispute with Great Britain over the boundary of British Guiana. An international trial was held by agreement of the nations and Harrison filed an 800-page brief on behalf of his client. He traveled to Paris where he spent more than 25 hours in court. Ultimately his client lost the case, but Harrison's legal arguments won him praise for his abilities as legal counsel in the field of international law.
When he returned home from Paris, Harrison later developed what was thought to be influenza or grippe in February 1901. He was treated with steam vapor inhalation and oxygen, but his condition only became worse. Benjamin Harrison died from pneumonia at his home on Wednesday, March 13, 1901, at the age of 67. Harrison is interred in Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery, next to Caroline. After her death, Mary Dimmick Harrison was buried next to him.
Although Benjamin Harrison is one of the least remembered presidents, he was ahead of his time in many ways, especially in the field of civil rights and in seeing education as a way for many to escape poverty. His reputation for integrity was justified, especially for his refusal to give away patronage to the party bosses. He paid a political price for this, but he was willing to do so. The bi-partisan Sherman Anti-Trust Act signed into law by Harrison remains in place today. Harrison's support for African American voting rights and education would be the last significant attempts to protect civil rights until the mid 20th century. His foreign policy in standing behind American history with "big stick" diplomacy, his concern about food safety, hios desire for a strong navy and his opposition to monopolies and trusts were all emulated by Theodore Roosevelt. It is probably fair to say that Harrison was a good president, but he was not a good politician.
In 1951, Harrison's home was opened to the public as a library and museum. I visited there in 2010 and it was a very pleasant experience. The volunteer staff there were very helpful and knowledgeable, and they would all gladly go out and campaign for their man if he was running for president today.
Tomorrow, we move on to a new Obscure President: Chester Alan Arthur.