James A. Garfield

1831-11-19 - 1881-09-19 Contemporaries

James A. Garfield was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death that September after being shot in July. A preacher, lawyer, and Civil War major general in the Union Army, he served nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and is the only sitting House member elected president. Before his presidency he had been elected to the U.S. Senate by the Ohio General Assembly, a seat he declined upon becoming president-elect.