Citizenship Bowl Questions 2008
To what five-year-old White House visitor did President Grover Cleveland say, "My little man, I am making a strange wish for you–it is that you may never be president of the United States"? Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected president four times
Although he later overcame his disability, which president suffered from habitual slobbering during his childhood and teens? Andrew Jackson
In what 1951 movie did Ronald Reagan co-star with a chimpanzee? Bedtime for Bonzo
Which president attended Oxford University in England as a Rhodes scholar? Bill Clinton
During the Spanish-American War, what did Theodore Roosevelt always carry at least six pairs of into combat? Spectacles (eye glasses)
Who was the first president born west of the Mississippi River? Herbert Hoover
Which president had previously worked as an assistant teacher at a New York City school for the blind? Grover Cleveland
Which president was outfitted in dresses until age five by his mother? Franklin D Roosevelt
How much did Richard Nixon weigh at birth? Eleven pounds
Who was the first West Point graduate to become president of the United States? Ulysses S. Grant
What type of part-time job did teenager Richard Nixon have with the Slippery Gulch Rodeo in Prescott, Arizona? A barker for a game of chance
Herbert Hoover became a millionaire, but as an orphan farm boy he was paid what amount to pick potato bugs from plants? One dollar per one hundred bugs
Upon what did teenager Andrew Jackson squander the inheritance of approximately L300 which his merchant grandfather in Ireland had left him? Gambling, horse races, and cock fights.
Abraham Lincoln’s first salaried job as a store clerk paid him what amount? Fifty-cents a day, plus sleeping accommodations
As a young law student, what president broke into the dean’s office at Duke University Law School? Richard Nixon
What presidential candidate’s election campaign was known for the slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler too"? William Henry Harrison
What disease did Andrew Jackson contract while a prisoner-of-war at Camden, South Carolina? Smallpox
In what territory did Zachary Taylor become commander of all United States forces in 1838? Florida Territory
Who said, "You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time"? Abraham Lincoln (1856)
How many consecutive terms did James K. Polk serve in the U.S. House of Representatives? Seven
By his own account, how many people did Ronald Reagan save from drowning during the six or seven summers he served as a lifeguard near his hometown in Illinois? 77
Prior to becoming the forty-second president of the United States, Bill Clinton was governor of what state? Arkansas
In his youth, what president received a ten-dollar tip for retrieving a swimmer’s false teeth from the bottom of the Rock River in Illinois? Ronald Reagan
Having learned the alphabet at age two, how old was Lyndon B Johnson when his mother, Rebekah Baines, taught him to read? Four
In 1832 who negotiated with the court of Czar Nicholas I in securing the United States’ first trade treaty with Russia? James Buchanan
Who did President Andrew Jackson appoint as minister to Russia in 1831? James Buchanan
As a lawyer, what was the largest fee Abraham Lincoln ever received for successfully defending a client? $5,000 (from the Illinois Central Railroad)
What was the total length of Abraham Lincoln’s formal education? Less than one year
In what Arkansas town did Bill Clinton spend most of his childhood and teenage years? Hot Springs
Who was the first elected delegate to Congress from the Northwest Territory? William Henry Harrison
Because of his diminutive stature, what nickname was given to Benjamin Harrison by the men who served him during the Civil War? "Little Ben"
While attending Amherst College, what was Calvin Coolidge’s worst subject? Physics
Which president was born on the Fourth of July? Calvin Coolidge (1872)
On what ballot did the Democratic Party finally select Franklin Pierce as their presidential candidate for the 1852 election? Forty-ninth
Where did Franklin Pierce open his first law office? Concord, New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce moved from last in his class during his second year in college to what ranking at graduation? Third
At age seventeen, Zachary Taylor swam back and forth across what major river? Ohio River
In his late teens, which president worked as a clerk in the mailroom of the Kansas City Star? Harry S. Truman
Which president, at age seventeen, underwent a gall bladder operation without anesthesia? James K. Polk
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper columnist Paul Greenberg saddled Bill Clinton with what nickname? "Slick Willie"
In 1833 Abraham Lincoln applied for and received what type of license? Saloon License
To what military rank was Dwight D Eisenhower promoted in December 1945? Five-star general
What was the main campaign slogan for Lyndon B Johnson in the 1964 presidential election? "All the Way with LBJ"
In what mid-1950s motion picure did both Ronald and Nancy Reagan appear? Hellcats of the Navy
As boys, which two presidents were indentured laborers? Millard Fillmore and Andrew Jackson
What president earned thirty dollars per month teaching school at White Schoolhouse near Marion, Ohio? Warren G Harding
The slogan "Keep the ball rolling" originated during whose Whig presidential campaign? William Henry Harrison
As a young man, what president appreared in a 1940 clothes-modeling spread in Look magazine and later on the cover of Cosmopolitan? Gerald Ford
At age eighteen, James Madison received what military rank? Lieutenant
At age fourteen, who served as the private secretary of America’s first resident diplomat in Russia? John Quincy Adams
As a young man, which president worked as a janitor and teacher at schools in the Ohio towns of Warrensville Heights and Blue Rock? James A Garfield
What rank in the Boy Scouts of America did Gerald Ford attain? Eagle Scout
Who edited President William Henry Harrison’s lengthy inaugural address? Daniel Webster
What was the name of Herbert Hoover’s dog, which was featured in his presidential campaign promotional materials to help create a warmer image? King Tut
During his freshman year at Stanford, what position did Herbert Hoover play on the university’s baseball team? Shortstop
In Franklin D Roosevelt’s 1932 presidential bid, what was his campaign theme song? "Happy Days Are Here Again"
In the mid-1850's, Ulysses S Grant supplemented his meager farm income by selling what commodity in St. Louis, Missouri? Wood
During his presidential campaign who received the nickname "Hangman" by his opponents for having personally presided over the hanging of two murderers while serving as sheriff of Erie County, New York? Grover Cleveland
How long did Lyndon B Johnson’s parents wait after his birth before naming him? Three months
As a boy, what was George Washington’s favorite subject in school? Arithmetic
What left Jimmy Carter with a permanently crooked finger? Cotton gin accident
What military decoration did George Washington introduce in 1782? Order of the Purple Heart
Prior to becoming president, Jimmy Carter appeared on what television game show? "What’s My Line?"
What was the amount of the trust fund John F. Kennedy received from his father for his twenty-first birthday? One million dollars
What chief executive was arrested, and his carriage and horse impounded, for speeding on a Washington street? Ulysses S Grant
Who was not only the first U.S. president to win a Nobel Peace Prize, but also the first American to be so honored? Theodore Roosevelt
During whose administration did seven of the fifteen slave states secede from the Union? James Buchanan’s
Suffering from a muscle spasm brought on by an earlier three-hour handshaking session, Abraham Lincoln dropped his pen on his first attempt to sign what famous document? Emancipation Proclamation
Which president referred to himself as "the hardest working man in the county"? James K Polk
In 1970 President Richard Nixon made what entertainer an honorary special agent in the administration’s war on drugs? Elvis Presley
What play was President Abraham Lincoln attending at Ford’s Theatre when he was shot on the evening of April 14, 1865? Our American Cousin
The longest presidential inaugural address in the nation’s history, comprising 8,445 words, was given by which president? William Henry Harrison, who caught pneumonia while giving the speech and died less than two months later.
During the Warren G Harding administration, newspaper reporter Judson Welliver became the first person to provide what service to a president? Speechwriting
What 1941 event did President Franklin D Roosevelt refer to as "a date that will live in infamy"? The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Which president signed the act creating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting? Lyndon B Johnson (November 7, 1967)
What agency did President Warren G Harding create in 1921 with regard to government spending guidelines? Bureau of the Budget
In 1833 who became the first president to ride on a railroad train? Andrew Jackson
During World War II, President Franklin D Roosevelt’s wheelchair was equipped with what special piece of protective equipment? A gas mask
How many miles did President John Quincy Adams walk each morning before addressing the day’s agenda? Four
What conflict did the Federalists refer to as "Mr. Madison’s War"? The War of 1812
In 1880 Rutherford B Hayes became the first president to acquire what item of office equipment for the White House? Typewriter
What mode of transportation did William Henry Harrison choose for his inaugural parade? Horseback
Who was the first president to have his voice recorded? Theodore Roosevelt
Who ordered that the flag of the United States be flown over the White House and government buildings? Benjamin Harrison
What name was given to a group of laws pertaining to the slavery issue that were signed into law by Millard Fillmore two months after assuming the presidency? The Compromise of 1850 (the California Compromise)
Who was the first full-term president not to seek re-election? James K Polk
Since inauguration day fell on a Sunday, March 4, 1877, and fearing the possible maneuvering of political foes, President Ulysses S Grant selected what time for th swearing in of President-elect Rutherford B Hayes? Midnight, March 3
Which chief executive was the first to hold White House press conferences on a regular basis? Woodrow Wilson
How was the justice of the peace who first administered the presidential oath to President-elect Calvin Coolidge related to Coolidge? He was his father
Who was the first president to visit all fifty states? Richard Nixon
Who first served ice cream at the White House? Dolley Madison
What former president married his wife’s former nurse, four years after his wife’s death? Benjamin Harrison
What was the name of the golden retriever that often shared the Oval Office with President Gerald Ford? Liberty
During whose administration was the White House, for the first time, thoroughly photographed? Benjamin Harrison’s
Which first lady was cross-eyed? Julia Grant
What item did First Lady Grace Coolidge make as a permanent item for the furnishing of the White House? A crocheted bedspread
Which first lady’s wedding ring was purchased at Sears and Roebuck for $2.50? Lady Bird Johnson
What was First Lady Letitia Tyler’s favorite hobby? Knitting
Who was the first wife of a president to attend her husband’s inauguration? Dolley Madison
What was First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s Secret Service code name? "Dancer"
What president’s first wife was his one-time schoolteacher? Millard Fillmore’s
Which first lady was the first to serve as her husband’s official secretary while in the White House? Sarah Childress Polk
What four former presidents of the United States are honored on Mt. Rushmore? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln
Which president could simultaneously write in Greek with one hand and in Latin with the other? James A Garfield
Which president owned at least eight pairs of pants? Chester Arthur
On what charges were Thomas Jefferson and James Madison arrested in Vermont in the spring of 1791? Carriage riding on a Sunday
What was Franklin D Roosevelt’s favorite hobby? Stamp collecting
A Nevada mountain range is named for what nineteenth-century president? Ulysses S Grant
What form of salutation, which had been shunned by his presidential predecessors, did Thomas Jefferson utilize at official events? Shaking hands
When did President Chester A Arthur usually retire for the evening? Not before 2:00a.m.
