When Betty Ford died, Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter became the country’s most senior President and First Lady. No President or First Lady that served before them is still alive.
How often has that happened in US history. Gerald Ford died before Ladybird Johnson, and Nancy Reagen served before the current three ex-Presidents and First Ladies (Bush, Clinton, Bush).
Harry and Bess Truman as late as 1972. I’d have to check for others.
Hmm, as far as I can tell from Wikipedia:
George and Martha Washington (1789-99)
John and Abigail Adams (1802-1818)
James and Dolley Madison (1826-1836)
Ulysses and Julia Grant (1882-85)
I think that’s it, other than the Trumans (1962-72) and the Carters.
Carter isn’t the eldest living former President. George H.W. Bush is older than Carter. And both Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush are older than Rosalynn Carter.
The OP is using seniority, not age. Carter served before GHW Bush, and Rosalynn ‘served’ before Nancy Reagan or Barbara Bush.
On another note, both the Clintons and the Obamas seem likely to fill this position in the future (assuming both couples remain married), given the big age gaps between them and their predecessors. I wonder if this phenomenon will become more common now that May-December marriages have become rarer. (Frances Cleveland and Julia Tyler, both young brides of middle-aged presidents, outlived bunches of their successors.)
On yet another note, the Grants may not qualify after all – I’d forgotten about Harriet Lane, niece and first lady to James Buchanan, who was alive until 1903.
This reminds me of a question I thought of recently: when were there the most living presidents/ex-presidents (including the curent office-holder)? Right now we have four; During GWB’s reign, before Ford’s death in 2006, we also had four. Same with Clinton prior to Nixon’s death in 1994.
Has there ever been five of 'em running around? What’s the record?
Five in 1861-1862:
Martin Van Buren (died 1862)
Millard Fillmore (died 1874)
John Tyler (died 1862)
Franklin Pierce (died 1869)
James Buchanan (died 1868
If you include the current office holder, right now we have five: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Carter.
During GWB’s reign before Ford’s death, we would have also had five: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Ford, Carter.
Before Reagan’s death in 2004, there were six (the ones above including Reagan).
Clinton also had six early in his term: Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon.
One surprising one is Herbert Hoover. He became the oldest living president/former president on January 5, 1933, when his predecessor Calvin Coolidge died. At that point Hoover was still President and there were no living former Presidents. Hoover then held the titles of senior and oldest living former president for thirty-one years until his death on October 20, 1964.
add Lincoln as the sitting POTUS
Proving once again that I have too much time on my hands:
Oldest Living President/Former President
George Washington - April 30, 1789 to December 14, 1799
John Adams - December 14, 1799 to July 4, 1826
James Madison - July 4, 1826 to June 28, 1836
Andrew Jackson - June 28, 1836 to June 8, 1845
John Quincy Adams - June 8, 1845 to February 23, 1848
Martin Van Buren - February 23, 1848 to July 24, 1862
James Buchanan - July 24, 1862 to June 1, 1868
Millard Fillmore - June 1, 1868 to March 8, 1874
Andrew Johnson - March 8, 1874 to July 31, 1875
Ulysses Grant - July 31, 1875 to July 23, 1885
Rutherford Hayes - July 23, 1885 to January 17, 1893
Benjamin Harrison - January 17, 1893 to March 13, 1901
Grover Cleveland - March 13, 1901 to June 24, 1908
Theodore Roosevelt - June 24, 1908 to March 4, 1909
William Howard Taft - March 4, 1909 to March 4, 1913
Woodrow Wilson - March 4, 1913 to February 3, 1924
William Howard Taft - February 3, 1924 to March 8, 1930
Calvin Coolidge - March 8, 1930 to January 5, 1933
Herbert Hoover - January 5, 1933 to October 20, 1964
Harry Truman - October 20, 1964 to December 26, 1972
Lyndon Johnson - December 26, 1972 to January 22, 1973
Richard Nixon - January 22, 1973 to January 20, 1981
Ronald Reagan - January 20, 1981 to June 5, 2004
Gerald Ford - June 5, 2004 to December 26, 2006
George H.W. Bush - December 26, 2006 to the present
Senior Living President/Former President
George Washington - April 30, 1789 to December 14, 1799
John Adams - December 14, 1799 to July 4, 1826
James Madison - July 4, 1826 to June 28, 1836
John Quincy Adams - June 28, 1836 to February 23, 1848
Martin Van Buren - February 23, 1848 to July 24, 1862
Millard Fillmore - July 24, 1862 to March 8, 1874
Andrew Johnson - March 8, 1874 to July 31, 1875
Ulysses Grant - July 31, 1875 to July 23, 1885
Rutherford Hayes - July 23, 1885 to January 17, 1893
Grover Cleveland - January 17, 1893 to June 24, 1908
Theodore Roosevelt - June 24, 1908 to January 6, 1919
William Howard Taft - January 6, 1919 to March 8, 1930
Calvin Coolidge - March 8, 1930 to January 5, 1933
Herbert Hoover - January 5, 1933 to October 20, 1964
Harry Truman - October 20, 1964 to December 26, 1972
Lyndon Johnson - December 26, 1972 to January 22, 1973
Richard Nixon - January 22, 1973 to April 22, 1994
Gerald Ford - April 22, 1994 to December 26, 2006
Jimmy Carter - December 26, 2006 to the present
Oldest Living First Lady/Former First Lady
Martha Washington - April 30, 1789 to May 22, 1802
Abigail Adams - May 22, 1802 to October 28, 1818
Dolley Madison - October 28, 1818 to July 12, 1849
Louisa Adams - July 12, 1849 to May 15, 1852
Anna Harrison - May 15, 1852 to February 25, 1864
Sarah Polk - February 25, 1864 to August 14, 1891
Julia Grant - August 14, 1891 to December 14, 1902
Harriet Lane - December 14, 1902 to July 3, 1903
Lucretia Garfield - July 3, 1903 to March 14, 1918
Helen Taft - March 14, 1918 to May 22, 1943
Edith Roosevelt - May 22, 1943 to September 30, 1948
Edith Wilson - September 30, 1948 to December 28, 1961
Eleanor Roosevelt - December 28, 1961 to November 7, 1962
Bess Truman - November 7, 1962 to October 18, 1982
Pat Nixon - October 18, 1982 to June 22, 1993
Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson - June 22, 1993 to July 11, 2007
Betty Ford - July 11, 2007 to July 8, 2011
Nancy Reagan - July 8, 2011 to the present
Senior Living First Lady/Former First Lady
Martha Washington - April 30, 1789 to May 22, 1802
Abigail Adams - May 22, 1802 to October 28, 1818
Martha Jefferson Randolph - October 28, 1818 to October 10, 1836
Dolley Madison - October 10, 1836 to July 12, 1849
Louisa Adams - July 12, 1849 to May 15, 1852
Anna Harrison - May 15, 1852 to February 25, 1864
Julia Tyler - February 25, 1864 to July 10, 1889
Sarah Polk - July 10, 1889 to August 14, 1891
Harriet Lane - August 14, 1891 to July 3, 1903
Lucretia Garfield - July 3, 1903 to March 14, 1918
Frances Cleveland - March 14, 1918 to October 29, 1947
Edith Roosevelt - October 29, 1947 to September 30, 1948
Edith Wilson - September 30, 1948 to December 28, 1961
Eleanor Roosevelt - December 28, 1961 to November 7, 1962
Bess Truman - November 7, 1962 to October 18, 1982
Jacqueline Kennedy - October 18, 1982 to May 19, 1994
Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson - May 19, 1994 to July 11, 2007
Betty Ford - July 11, 2007 to July 8, 2011
Rosalynn Carter - July 8, 2011 to the present
Oldest Living First Lady/Former First Lady (wives only)
Martha Washington - April 30, 1789 to May 22, 1802
Abigail Adams - May 22, 1802 to October 28, 1818
Dolley Madison - October 28, 1818 to July 12, 1849
Louisa Adams - July 12, 1849 to May 15, 1852
Anna Harrison - May 15, 1852 to February 25, 1864
Sarah Polk - February 25, 1864 to August 14, 1891
Julia Grant - August 14, 1891 to December 14, 1902
Lucretia Garfield - December 14, 1902 to March 14, 1918
Helen Taft - March 14, 1918 to May 22, 1943
Edith Roosevelt - May 22, 1943 to September 30, 1948
Edith Wilson - September 30, 1948 to December 28, 1961
Eleanor Roosevelt - December 28, 1961 to November 7, 1962
Bess Truman - November 7, 1962 to October 18, 1982
Pat Nixon - October 18, 1982 to June 22, 1993
Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson - June 22, 1993 to July 11, 2007
Betty Ford - July 11, 2007 to July 8, 2011
Nancy Reagan - July 8, 2011 to the present
Senior Living First Lady/Former First Lady (wives only)
Martha Washington - April 30, 1789 to May 22, 1802
Abigail Adams - May 22, 1802 to October 28, 1818
Dolley Madison - October 28, 1818 to July 12, 1849
Louisa Adams - July 12, 1849 to May 15, 1852
Anna Harrison - May 15, 1852 to February 25, 1864
Julia Tyler - February 25, 1864 to July 10, 1889
Sarah Polk - July 10, 1889 to August 14, 1891
Julia Grant - August 14, 1891 to December 14, 1902
Lucretia Garfield - December 14, 1902 to March 14, 1918
Frances Cleveland - March 14, 1918 to October 29, 1947
Edith Roosevelt - October 29, 1947 to September 30, 1948
Edith Wilson - September 30, 1948 to December 28, 1961
Eleanor Roosevelt - December 28, 1961 to November 7, 1962
Bess Truman - November 7, 1962 to October 18, 1982
Jacqueline Kennedy - October 18, 1982 to May 19, 1994
Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson - May 19, 1994 to July 11, 2007
Betty Ford - July 11, 2007 to July 8, 2011
Rosalynn Carter - July 8, 2011 to the present
Holy crap, I forgot Bush I and even Reagan. How embarrassing.
Thanks, jtgain and RealityChuck. Okay, I guess the record is six, then, with Clinton and Lincoln’s early years?
I guess the 1992 - 93 Clinton era was helped by the three single-termers and one 1.5 termer in there.
One interesting factoid: while there have been six times when the sitting President was the only living person to have held the office, the only time when there was a sole living First Lady was when Martha Washington was the first one - since then there has always been at least two.
Good point. George W Bush and Clinton are only a month apart in age (both born in 1946). Carter and Bush, Sr were born in 1924.
Obama was born in 1961.
And six in Bush II’s early term from 2001-2004. Bush was helped by the same single termers.
Lincoln was helped that way as well as there were no two term Presidents between Jackson and Lincoln.
I only count five: Washington, Adams, Grant, T. Roosevelt, and Hoover. Are you counting Grover Cleveland since he was in office while the senior living (ex-)President, even though Benjamin Harrison was also alive at the time Cleveland took the title?
You missed Nixon. He was the only living President from January 22, 1973 (when Lyndon Johnson died) until August 9, 1974 (when Gerald Ford took office).
I did specify married couples, so the Grants qualify, though with an asterick.
Thanks for digging up that info, Little Nemo.
ETA: First Ladies do seem to live incredibly long lives.