# How many US presidents had no son(s) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008 "2004-05-13T20:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/1 "2004-05-13T20:43:08Z")
I have recently noticed that some recent US presidents had no son(s). GW Bush,Jimmy Carter,Bill Clinton all three have no direct male decendent. To make it more interesting I just realized that John Kerry has daughters and step sons. If Kerry should get the electoral nod that would be three in a row. IIRC Harry Truman only had one daughter. LBJ had 2 daughters. So is it just a strange coincidence that those without male children are more apt to feel the need to lead our country? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/2 "2004-05-13T20:48:54Z")
Scratch Jimmy Carter from that list. [Jack, Chip and Jeff](http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/jec/genealog.phtml#3) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/3 "2004-05-13T21:01:43Z")
FWIW, Washington, Buchanan, Jackson, Polk and Madison had no biological children (therefore no sons). And apropos of absolutely nothing, a list of [asteroids](http://home.comcast.net/~sharonday7/Presidents/AP060324.htm) named after presidents. ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/4 "2004-05-13T21:07:59Z")
Quote postcards Scratch Jimmy Carter from that list. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/5 "2004-05-13T21:14:33Z")
There is a woman named Madeleine Brown who claims that her now deceased son was fathered by LBJ. I’m not sure if its a well regarded claim or just a rumor. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/6 "2004-05-13T21:38:04Z")
10 of the 12 children Thomas Jefferson had died young, including all his sons. His descendants stem from his two daughters who survived, married and bore children. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/7 "2004-05-13T21:38:26Z")
In addition to GW Bush, Clinton, LBJ, Truman, Buchanan, Polk, Jackson, Madison, and Washington… Monroe had one son, but he did not survive infancy. McKinley had no sons. Wilson had no sons. Harding had no legitimate children, and his alleged illegitimate child was a girl. Nixon had no sons. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-us-presidents-had-no-son-s/245008/8 "2004-05-14T01:01:47Z")
> [@quiltguy154](#): > > 10 of the 12 children Thomas Jefferson had died young, including all his sons. His descendants stem from his two daughters who survived, married and bore children. Unless, of course, you believe the Sally Hemings stories. I believe two or three of them were boys.