James A. Garfield

James Abram Garfield (1831–1881) was the 20th President of the United States, serving from March to September 1881. Born in Orange Township, Ohio, he rose from poverty, worked as a teacher, and became president of Hiram College. During the Civil War he served in the Union Army, reaching the rank of major general. Garfield was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1862 and became a leading Republican voice on Reconstruction, finance, and civil service reform. Nominated unexpectedly at the 1880 Republican convention, he won the presidency but was shot by Charles J. Guiteau and died months later. His surviving speeches and extensive correspondence remain widely studied.