# What's the highest office a long-haired man has been elected to in an English-speaking country? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683 "2010-02-12T08:40:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/1 "2010-02-12T08:40:02Z")
The title says it all; I’ll let those who respond decide how long is “long”. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/2 "2010-02-12T09:05:44Z")
I’m pretty sure the hair of [James K. Polk](http://www.ushistoricalarchive.com/presidents/35.jpg) would be considered “long,” for a man, today - so, at least in America, we’ve had one long-haired president. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/3 "2010-02-12T09:13:04Z")
Is the OP referring to modern times? If so, I’m having a hard time thinking of any. (In Polk’s time long hair was unremarkable.) ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/4 "2010-02-12T09:16:03Z")
Robert Walpole, considered the first prime minister of the UK (1721), is depicted with hair past his shoulders. (Of course, it was probably a wig, but still, it’s long hair.) Before that, in 1689, the long-haired William III was elected King of England and King of Scotland, albeit by Parliament alone. So there’s your two highest offices taken care of (head of state and head of government). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/5 "2010-02-12T09:16:30Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Is the OP referring to modern times? If so, I’m having a hard time thinking of any. (In Polk’s time long hair was unremarkable.) I’m thinking of modern times, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/6 "2010-02-12T09:42:41Z")
Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a US Senator [Ben Nighthorse Campbell - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Nighthorse_Campbell) ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/7 "2010-02-12T10:25:49Z")
Former President of India (2002-2007) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w2VQiufwCdQ/Sw4kTGHxxVI/AAAAAAAABjM/SWtuR0eb3L4/s1600/APJ+Abdul+Kalam.jpg) ](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w2VQiufwCdQ/Sw4kTGHxxVI/AAAAAAAABjM/SWtuR0eb3L4/s1600/APJ+Abdul+Kalam.jpg) (.jpg image) He was India’s first rocket-scientist and bachelor to be president, which explains the hair 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/8 "2010-02-12T11:34:48Z")
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also has long hair, I’d assume, being a Sikh and all, even though he wears it up in a turban, being a Sikh and all. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/9 "2010-02-12T11:48:58Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also has long hair, I’d assume, being a Sikh and all, even though he wears it up in a turban, being a Sikh and all. Oh yeah, heh. Didn’t cross my mind. His hair is probably down to his waist. I guess he wins the thread 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/10 "2010-02-12T11:59:36Z")
Does India count as an English-speaking country? I mean, they do often speak English, but it’s a second language. Their primary language is Hindi, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/11 "2010-02-12T12:09:07Z")
Our Indian dopers will be able to provide better information, but India does count as an English-speaking country, yes. Spain is a Spanish-speaking country, although there is a (larger in the last 10 years) segment of the population which speaks Spanish as a second language. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/12 "2010-02-12T12:26:29Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Does India count as an English-speaking country? I mean, they do often speak English, but it’s a second language. Their primary language is Hindi, isn’t it? Hindi and English are the official languages of India. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/13 "2010-02-12T12:58:58Z")
If you count Hong Kong as an English-speaking country (where it is an official language and is still very widely used in the government and business), the eccentric [Leung Kwok Hung](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leung_Kwok_Hung) was an MP until he resigned in January as a political stunt to force a by-election. He vows to not cut his hair until China apologizes for the Tiananmen Massacre. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/14 "2010-02-12T13:45:59Z")
> [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](#): > > I’m thinking of modern times, yes. You’ll have to define what you mean by “modern times”. Many historians date modern times to the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. I suspect you would use a much later date. But does it include the 1840s when Polk was U.S. president? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/15 "2010-02-12T15:32:41Z")
Go long hair dudes, go! - Kinthalis, who has long hair 🙂 - And who is, unfortunately, not president of the U.S yet. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/16 "2010-02-12T15:39:17Z")
What’s considered “modern times”? Presumably it excludes George Washington, who is wearing a pigtail on the [US quarter](http://www.coinfacts.com/quarter_dollars/50_states_quarters/50_states_quarter_obv_large.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/17 "2010-02-12T15:49:43Z")
Woodrow Wilson’s VP, [Thomas Marshall](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_R._Marshall), may be the closest thing we can find to long hair in Amrerican national office affter 1900. And while he wasn’t elected, Chief Justice [Melville Fuller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melville_Fuller) had an awesome head of hair. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/18 "2010-02-12T16:17:15Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > And while he wasn’t elected, Chief Justice [Melville Fuller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melville_Fuller) had an awesome head of hair. Pretty bitchin’ mustache, too. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/19 "2010-02-12T16:22:14Z")
Following up leads in the Sikh category for indisputably English-speaking countries: [New Zealand Member of Parliament Khanwaljit Singh Bakshi](http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Kanwaljit_Singh_Bakshi) is a _pagri wala_ (turban wearer), so presumably has long hair. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683/20 "2010-02-12T18:30:49Z")
Well if we are going by English is offical language country, former Pakistani Minister, [Humayun Akhtar](http://www.pakistanileaders.com.pk/pGallery/Humayun_Akhtar_Khan/HumayunAK-1000.jpg). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-office-a-long-haired-man-has-been-elected-to-in-an-english-speaking-country/528683.md?page=2)