It’s unfortunately rare to find anyone in politics these days, especially a president sporting a moustache, let alone facial hair. In fact, the last president to have facial hair was #33, Harry Truman, way back in 1948, who reportedly grew a goatee while on vacation.
And even that was temporary. How risque!
If we’re looking for full timers, we have to go back even further to 1913 when William Taft was the 27th president of the United States.
It’s a shame, really.
Don’t people know how regal the moustache was for many presidents preceding them?
In fact, there have been a total of 8 presidents who have adorned the mustache, and 16 in total who have had facial hair including fan favorites Abraham Lincoln and George Washington (if we include long sideburns).
Let’s see who had the best mustaches, shall we?
William Taft
President: #27
Life: September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930
Term: March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913
Without a doubt my personal favorite has to go to Mr. Taft. As president he is best known for Dollar Diplomacy which called for the use of diplomatic and military action to further business interests overseas.
As a man, well, I just love his photo – he looks so happy.
The moustache curling up is in and of itself a smile.
It’s no wonder that no one felt they could live up to the mustache following his presidency.
Theodore Roosevelt
President: #26
Life: October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919
Term: September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909
When you think of the manliest president, without a doubt, Teddy comes to mind.
Naturally, he had a moustache.
He fought in the Spanish American war with his Rough Riders and was the creator of the Big Stick policy concerning foreign relations.
Additionally, President Roosevelt liked to hunt. During a particularly unsuccessful hunt, his companions arranged for him to shoot a captured bear. Roosevelt refused, saying that it was unsportsmanlike. This led to publications, including a cartoon that referred to the bear as Teddy’s bear. Soon, toy stuffed bears were made bearing his name ever after- Teddy.
Grover Cleveland
President: #22 and #24
Life: March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908
Term: March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889 and March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897 Grover Cleveland is the only president to have won two, non consecutive terms. He is also the only president to get married while in office.
Was it the moustache?
Clearly.
He also was a president during a depression and countless strikes – but that probably wasn’t the moustache.
Chester A. Arthur
President: #21
Life: October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886
Term: September 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885 Chester went for the A la Souvarov Moustache and I can’t blame him for it!
He was elevated to the position of President after the assassination of James Garfield (one of four presidents to be assassinated – Sadly, not every Moustache is bulletproof. I blame the beard ).
He supervised the revival of the United States Navy but was critiqued for failing to lessen the federal budget excess that had been collecting since the end of the American Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant
President: #18
Life: April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885
Term: March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877 Grant is most favorite for kicking ass during the American civil war.
And doing it with a moustache.
Despite a nasty drinking habit he appears to have been a stand up guy, at least when it came to civil rights.
He enforced civil rights laws and fought Ku Klux Klan violence. Grant encouraged passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, giving protection for African-American voting rights.
Benjamin Harrison
President: #23
Life: August 20, 1833 – March 13, 1901
Term: March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893 In his youth Benjamin wore only a beard, but wisely chose to add the mustache later in life
What else is their to say about Mr. Harris?
Honestly, not much.
He was one of 5 presidents to serve in the Civil War and he is the first president in U.S. history whose voice exists on an audio recording – a 36-second clip of Harrison reading from one of his speeches.
Rutherford B. Hayes
President: #19
Life: October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893
Term: March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881 Hayes was elected one of the most contentious and confused elections in national history. He lost the popular vote but won the electoral college.
Largely due to the influence of his wife, Hayes prohibited alcohol in the White House during his tenure, which effectively brought the Prohibitionist cause into Republican party politics, where it would stay for the next 50 years.
Bet the electoral college was regretting their decision after that one…
James A. Garfield
President: #20
Life: November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881
Term: March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881 James didn’t last very long as president, only from March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881. In July of 1881, James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau as he headed for a train in Washington, D.C. Guiteau, a disgruntled and delusional former attorney, was angry with Garfield and his administration for failing to appoint him as a U.S. consul in Paris. He died a few months later.
He was a family man with five sons and two daughters and rose through the ranks from only a basic, village education.
He also had a proud moustache and beard combo – we salute him.
Conclusion
If you organize the numbers we see that from 18th to 27th eight out of nine presidents had a mustache.
And then it went away, and what did it get us?
World War One, The Depression, Word War Two, The Bomb, Famine and Justin Bieber.
Who’s in favor of bringing it back?
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Dave Schneider is the founder and contributing writer to men’s magazine Life Of Men, which teaches real skills for men. He’s traveled to over 40 countries while running his online business. Check him out on Facebook.
About Douglas Smythe
