Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes (19th president) Rutherford Bichard Hayes was not a well know president. He was not president that had the opportunity to lead us through a war. He was not a president that would draw much attention to the public eye. He was however one of the presidents that had a great triumph over a major U.S. problem, economics and civil rights following a war. The United States was just coming out of the Civil War and was in need of a new president. They were in need of one that could lead them into a booming economic system, start the process of paying off the national debt, and show them the benefits of a nation-wide unification of the North and the South. On October 4th 1822, Sophie Bichard Hayes gave birth to Rutherford Bichard Hayes. His father Rutherford Hayes passed away two months prior to Rutherford Jr. being born. Along with his 4 other siblings, Rutherford was raised in Ohio by his mother for most of his life. Rutherford went to school in Norwalk, Ohio and Middletown, Connecticut. In 1842 he graduated from Kenyon College, in Gambier, Ohio, valedictorian of his class. After a year of study in a Columbus law office, he entered Harvard Law School and received his degree in 1845. Hayes began his practice in a small town called Lower Sandusky. Not finding many opportunities here, he left for Cincinnati in 1849 where he became a successful lawyer. In 1952, Hayes married Lucy Ware Webb, a graduate from Wesleyan Women’s College. She would later become the first wife of a President to have graduated from college. When the Civil War began, Hayes offered his services to the State of Ohio. Knowing the Governor, William Dennison, he became the major in the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Throughout his career in the army, he rose to the rank of major general. While still in the army, he was elected into congress in 1864. He did not take his seat until the Union had won the war. In 1866 he was reelected into congress and in