# Has a Sitting Vice President Ever Died While in Office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053 "2010-07-26T15:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053/21 "2010-07-27T17:19:46Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > [Political](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CEYQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGeorge_Clinton_(musician)&ei=pI1OTLCDLpSmsQOT94DZBw&usg=AFQjCNECR99SPeFgIp4A-QjNAxyvGm2fuw) [snark](http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858559291/)? Ah, didn’t get the reference (never heard of George Clinton or that song). Thanks for enlightening me – I think. Generally speaking, we try to keep GQ on track with specific responses to questions. When a political thread slips awry and someone inserts a comment about some dude drowning in his own shit, I naturally assume that it’s a jab at a politician – especially since the quoted material called him a politician. Mods don’t have time to track down every single reference like that, so we issue friendly notes. Note that no warnings were issued. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053/22 "2010-07-27T18:43:32Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:21, topic:548053”] Ah, didn’t get the reference (never heard of George Clinton or that song). Thanks for enlightening me – I think. [/QUOTE] Shoot him with the [Bop Gun](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bm0c50UENU)~ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053/23 "2010-07-27T19:57:11Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > …I was wondering why the funeral was held at St. Bart’s in New York instead of at the National Cathedral in DC… fun movie though. > [@alphaboi867](#): > > I just assumed that the VP was from NYC. As did I, but I thought that dignitary funerals were usually held at the NatCat. The only reason story-wise I can think to put it in NY instead of DC would be that maybe St. Bart’s has those underground crypts and the NatCat doesn’t. Or maybe the filmmakers couldn’t get permission from the NatCat to film there. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053/24 "2010-07-28T01:43:24Z")
Just for kicks, I decided to compile a list of men who were “a heartbeat away from the Presidency” owing to a vacancy in the Vice Presidential office (through death or resignation of the VP or his succession to the Presidency). It turns out there was quite a lot of time during which people not elected (except by their state or congressional district) were first in line for the Oval Office. Some are relative nonentities, some famous at least in a historical context. It includes a scad of Presidents Pro Tem (before 1886), seven Secretaries of State, four Speakers of the House, and one Secretary of the Treasury (Morgenthau, during Truman’s first, VP-less term when Jimmy Byrnes was before the Senate for confirmation as Secretary of State). April 20, 1812- March 4, 1813 – William H. Crawford November 25, 1814-March 4, 1817 – John Gaillard December 28, 1832-March 4, 1833 – Hugh Lawson White April 4, 1841- May 31, 1831 – Samuel Southard May 31, 1842 - March 4, 1845 – Willie Mangum July 9, 1850 – December 20, 1852 – William R. King December 20, 1852 – March 4, 1853 – David Rice Atchison April 18, 1853-December 4, 1854 – David Rice Atchison December 4, 1854 – Lewis Cass December 5, 1854 - June 9, 1856 – Jesse D. Bright June 9-10, 1856 – Charles E. Stuart June 11, 1856 - January 6, 1857 – Jesse D. Bright January 6, 1857-March 4, 1857 – James Mason April 15, 1865-March 2, 1867 – Lafayette S. Foster March 3, 1867- March 3, 1869 – Benjamin Wade November 22, 1875-March 4, 1877 – Thomas W. Ferry September 19, 1881-October 12, 1881 – Thomas F. Bayard October 13, 1881-March 3, 1883 – David Davis March 3, 1883-March 3, 1885 – George F. Edmunds December 7, 1885-January 19, 1886 – John Sherman January 19, 1886-March 4, 1889 – Thomas F. Bayard November 21, 1899-March 4, 1901 – John M. Hay September 14, 1901-March 4, 1905 – John M. Hay October 30, 1912–March 3, 1913 – Philander Knox August 2, 1923-March 4, 1925 – Charles Evans Hughes April 12, 1945-June 27, 1945 – Edward Stettinius June 27, 1945-July 3, 1945 – Henry Morgenthau July 3, 1945-January 21, 1947 – James F. Byrnes January 21, 1947-July 18, 1947 – George C. Marshall July 18, 1947-January 3, 1949 – Joseph W. Martin January 3-20, 1949 – Sam Rayburn November 22, 1963-January 20, 1965 – John W. McCormick October 10, 1973-December 6, 1973 – Carl Albert August 9, 1974-December 19, 1974 – Carl Albert ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053/25 "2010-07-28T01:57:30Z")
How could anyone but the Speaker of the House be first in line for the Presidency due to a vacancy at the VP? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053/26 "2010-07-28T02:14:58Z")
The presidential succession act of 1886 replaced the President pro tempore and Speaker with officers of the President’s cabinet, with the Secretary of State first in line. This was not reversed until 1947. ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053/27 "2010-07-28T02:18:12Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > The presidential succession act of 1886 replaced the President pro tempore and Speaker with officers of the President’s cabinet, with the Secretary of State first in line. This was not reversed until 1947. Gotcha. Thanks! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-sitting-vice-president-ever-died-while-in-office/548053.md?page=1)