Those covered include John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Calvin Coolidge and Ronald Reagan. Pictured: Calvin Coolidge. Photo Credit: Library of Congress.
This author needs a break after the 2024 election and before the Trump inauguration. As the cabinet nomination fights erupt and the legacy media wrestles with another Trump term, readers might like a short detour into a discussion about presidential excellence. In recent decades, some believe Barack Obama ranks high, especially compared to what they perceive as mediocrity surrounding him. The two most recent presidents (Donald Trump and Joe Biden) are off-limits. That means that starting with Washington and going through the first forty-four presidencies (forty-three men because Grover Cleveland served non-consecutive terms), ending with Obama, I will make a case for my five favourite presidents. That does not necessarily mean the five greatest presidents or the five most historically important ones, but my five favourite holders of the highest office.
JOHN ADAMS (1736 – 1826)
Adams served as the nation’s second chief executive from 1797-1801. As a one-term president, many might argue that he should not be on this list. To justify my selection, I have to take some liberties, but Adams belongs because he knew more about the office than anyone who has ever held it. Adams was known as the architect of the American government. He was the foremost American authority on the theory and practice of government. In 1780 Adams undertook the writing of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which later formed the basis for the writing of the American Constitution in 1787. Having Adams as president could be likened to having Steve Jobs as your Apple IT guy.
The nation never had anyone as thoroughly capable of running the government, understanding the chief responsibilities of each office, or achieving ends that best suited the nature of the young democracy. Adams managed to keep the United States out of a war with France while managing hostile British efforts to seize the colonies. After losing in 1800 to Thomas Jefferson, Adams went home. He did not dispute the results and set the precedence for a peaceful transfer of power that has endured for over two hundred years. Coincidentally, fifty years after he and Jefferson signed the Constitution, both men died on July 4th, hours apart. Their correspondence during the twilight years of their lives remains a monument to civil discourse, government theory, and American exceptionality.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1809 – 1865)
Lincoln’s biographer, Carl Sandburg wrote, “A tree is best measured when it is down – and so it is with people.” Lincoln held the respect of the American people before his assassination, but upon his death, his greatness arose. His writings, the valuable leadership he provided, and his ability to hold the union together in its’ worst days underwrote the adulation of Whitman’s famous poem, “O Captain! My Captain!”. They drove the relentless efforts to honour him. Efforts that included the incomparable Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Having been there twice, I can verify the majestic presence of a sculpted Lincoln, sitting watch over the nation he once led. To some degree, every president since Lincoln has felt accountable to him. His successors have looked to him for guidance, read his words for inspiration, and referred to him in homage. More books are devoted to the topic of Lincoln than any other person. The most recent number suggests that over 15,000 books cover his life, presidency, leadership, and death. He left behind countless memorable quotes, keen observations, and enough writings to keep researchers busy for over a century. He always ranks in the top echelon of presidents and enjoys admiration from both sides of the political aisle despite being the first Republican president.
ULYSSES S. GRANT (1822 – 1885)
My admiration for Grant came late in life. I read Ron Chernow’s massive biography (Grant) about him and came away with a newfound respect and increased understanding of his importance and character. Lincoln realized how important Grant’s leadership was to the Union Army, and the nation soon recognized this, especially after Lincoln’s untimely death and the underwhelming presidency of Andrew Johnson. A nation healing from a Civil War needed more than a caretaker, and Johnson couldn’t match that expectation. Grant won the party’s nomination in 1868 and the election soon after. He proceeded to help the country fulfill the promises of equality, reconcile old rifts, and oversee Reconstruction, supporting the various parts of the nation whose economy had been disrupted or destroyed during the war. Grant took action to help ensure the enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment (the right for African American men to vote) and the prosecution of the Ku Klux Klan. His credibility moved the nation to a better place, but never where it needed to be. Successive presidencies and the rise of segregationists in the South blunted much of Grant’s initiatives. They laid dormant for decades but remain a strong example of constitutional leadership from the highest office.
CALVIN COOLIDGE (1872 – 1933)
One of the best books I have read in recent years revived the presidency of Calvin Coolidge. Amity Shlaes’s (Coolidge) look at the taciturn president from Vermont reminded everyone that the presidency never needed to be a dominating or central force in American government. Coolidge, who rose through the ranks of various small offices before becoming Governor of Massachusetts in 1919, possessed a determination to honour the old-fashioned values of frugality and reserved speech. Shlaes recalls one episode where Coolidge went through a budget line-by-line to find savings, believing he and his administration owed it to the people who paid the taxes to be as careful in spending government money as households were with theirs. Coolidge came to power when President Warren G. Harding died in 1923. As president, the Coolidges lost their son Calvin Jr. to an infection he developed after a blister caused blood poisoning. His ability to publicly mourn while carrying out the responsibilities of the presidency earned him great respect. He won re-election easily and could have won again in 1928 but chose to return to Vermont and hand the presidency off to a successor. The humble, soft-spoken Coolidge stands in great contrast to the ceaseless chatter of the modern president, but a strong reminder that the office exists to serve the people, not dominate their lives.
RONALD REAGAN (1911 – 2004)
The recent release of Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid, has renewed interest in Reagan, whose presidency (1981-89) ended a generation ago. Anyone under fifty may have some impression of Reagan and what he accomplished, but his rise to the presidency rested on his anti-communist philosophy. The driving force of his presidency was the defeat of the Soviet Union and America’s triumph in the Cold War. Those inclined to pacifist ideals or prefer an isolationist foreign policy would not approve. Reagan had bigger fish to fry. As leader of the free world in a struggle with the forces of the communist empire, Reagan committed America to victory. It led to larger-than-desired budget deficits, but Reagan could later point to a peace dividend that one of his successors, Bill Clinton, enjoyed in the 1990s once the Soviet-controlled world collapsed.
Reagan came to power shortly after Nixon had resigned from office and Jimmy Carter had seemed overwhelmed by the presidency. Reagan had style and grace, deflected criticism with self-deprecating humour, and filled the presidency with an air of elegance not seen since John F. Kennedy. When he survived an assassination attempt early in his first term it extended his honeymoon with the American people but also bonded them with him as he recovered in public, overcame his wounds, and returned to lead the nation he loved and cared for so deeply. His public acknowledgement of Alzheimer’s several years after he left office read as a national love letter. He wrote, “In closing let me thank you, the American people for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future. I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.”
All of these presidents were Republicans (Adams a Federalist) because they best reflect my philosophy. Some honourable mentions include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. I listed the presidents I wrote about in chronological order, not in order of preference. What is your favourite five?
Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.
