The Early Years
Stephen Grover Cleveland was
born on March 18th, 1837 to Reverend Richard Cleveland and his wife
Ann. Named for the first ordained pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church at Caldwell, he would in time become known by his middle name,
Grover.
Cleveland was raised in a
strict, modest home. As a son of a minister and the fifth of nine
children, he had a religious and principled upbringing with few
luxuries.
When Grover was 4, Reverend
Cleveland moved his family to Fayetteville, NY. There Grover attended
local schools and was described by many as “chuck full of fun.” He
enjoyed outdoor sports, especially fishing. He prepared to enter
Hamilton College, but his father’s death in 1853 forever changed
these plans. Instead of attending college, Cleveland, at age 16, went
to work to help support his mother and siblings.
Needing a more substantial
income, he traveled west in 1855. He stopped in Buffalo, NY, assumed a
position with his uncle and later clerked for a local law firm. In
1859, Cleveland was admitted to the bar, fulfilling long-held goal of
becoming a lawyer.
Politics
Cleveland remained in Buffalo
where he practiced law and held the posts of Election Ward Supervisor,
Assistant District Attorney, Sheriff of Erie County, and finally
Mayor. His political fortunes continued to climb as he rose from Mayor
of Buffalo (1882), to Governor of New York (1883), to President of the
United States (1885) in a mere three and a half years.
Throughout his political career,
Cleveland became known for his honesty, fairness and nonpartisanship.
As mayor, he vetoed a resolution that would have permitted
unscrupulous awarding of city contracts. As governor, he vetoed a
politically popular public transportation fare decrease and refused
political spoils to party officials in Tammany Hall, headquarters of
the Democratic Party in New York City.
His presidency was no less
contentious. He was a strong reformer and defender of
anti-imperialism, tariff reform and the gold standard. He vetoed
fraudulent pension claims by Civil War veterans, stating, “I have
considered the pension list of the republic a role of honor”.
He also signed the Interstate
Commerce Act, creating the nation’s first regulatory agency and
established the United States Department of Labor. The latter provided
a means of arbitration in the often-violent labor disputes that arose
during the late 19th century.
Although Cleveland won the
popular vote in his 1888 re-election bid, he lost the electoral vote.
He ran again in 1892 and won, becoming the only president to serve two
non-consecutive terms. He would also be the only Democrat elected
president between 1861 and 1912.
During his second term in
office, Cleveland repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, puting the
nation back on the gold standard. He facilitated the resolution
between Great Britain and Venezuela and between Spain and Cuba, thus
averting conflict and protecting American interests. He also employed
the military during the 1894 Pullman Palace Car employee strike in
order to maintain civil order and ensure continued rail transportation
of goods and services, including the delivery of U.S. mail. “If
it takes the entire army and navy of the United States to deliver a
postcard in Chicago,” he thundered, “that card will be
delivered”.
This unwavering forthrightness
often created enemies in both political parties and among special
interest groups. Yet, Cleveland was undeterred. It was this very
steadfast, but resilient approach to life that would define him both
as a man and as a president.
In 1897 Grover Cleveland retired
to Princeton, NJ. During these twilight years, he served as a trustee
of Princeton University from 1901 to 1908 and actively worked to
reform the country’s insurance industry.
Family Matters
Grover Cleveland was a bachelor
when he assumed the presidency in 1885. One year later he made history
by becoming the first president to marry in the White House. On
Wednesday, June 2, 1886, he took Frances Clara Folsom as his bride.
The ceremony was held in the
Blue Room. Frances, 27 years his junior, was the daughter of
Cleveland’s law firm partner. Educated at Wells College, she was a
popular First Lady. The Clevelands were a close and affectionate
couple whose relationship was also characterized by mutual respect.
Cleveland once wrote of his wife, “I have in her something better
than the Presidency for life.” The Clevelands had five children,
three girls and two boys. Their first born, Ruth, had a candy bar
named after her. Their second child, Esther, was the first baby of a
president to be born in the White House. Third daughter Marion was
born in 1895. Sons Richard and Francis were born in 1897 and 1903,
respectively. As a family, they enjoyed the outdoors spending their
summers in Massachusetts and later New Hampshire.
Grover Cleveland died on June
24th, 1908 and is buried in the Princeton Cemetery. His wife, his
daughter Ruth and his wife’s parents are buried alongside him. Among
Cleveland’s final words was the statement, “I have tried so
hard to do right.” His personal and political legacy remains a
testament to the constancy of this deep-seated conviction.