Chester A. Arthur biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Chester Alan Arthur was the second son of Malvina (Stone) Arthur and the Reverend William Arthur, a passionate Baptist abolitionist preacher, who emigrated from Ireland. Born in Fairfield, Vermont, his family moved throughout New York and Vermont, as his father preached in various towns and villages. Throughout Arthur's political career, it was rumored, though never proven, that he was born in Bedford, Quebec, Canada.

Chester A. Arthur attended school in Union Village, New York, and later Union College in Schenectady, where he showed more interest in extracurricular activities and politics than his studies. After graduating in 1848, he taught school for a while. He was later admitted to the bar and practiced law in New York City. In 1859, he married Ellen Herndon. The couple would have three children, one of whom died at age 3.

Life as a Political Operative

After the Civil War, Chester A. Arthur became an associate of Republican Party boss and U.S. Senator Roscoe Conkling, who used political patronage and party discipline to advance his power and the Republican Party in New York. Arthur, with his superb organization and administration skills, helped deliver support to the Conklin political machine. As collector of the New York Customs House, he overstaffed positions with political operatives who were loyal to Conklin.

In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes attempted to reform the patronage system and ousted Chester A. Arthur from office. As payback, Conklin arranged for Arthur to be on the Republican ticket with presidential nominee James A. Garfield in 1880. Six months after his inauguration, Garfield was assassinated, and Arthur subsequently became the 21st president of the United States.

Personal Life

Arthur spent more time on his social life and political career than with his family. His wife, Ellen, died in 1880, and Arthur entered the White House a widower. He became a bit of a dandy in his dress and his social circle in Washington, D.C. He lamented the dilapidated condition of the White House, and hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to remodel it into a show place.

Final Years

Arthur kept the secret that he was suffering from fatal kidney disease for several years, and he declined to run for a second term as president. In 1885, he returned to his law practice in New York City. As his health declined, he ordered that all of his papers, both personal and professional, be burned.

Arthur died on November 17, 1886, at the age of 57, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

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