Presidential Series Update

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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26 November 2007 10:14
 

Just a quick note to update members on where we are and where we’re going on the Presidential arms series.

With the posting of the Garfield arms over the weekend, I have covered 12 of the 42 Presidents (remember, Cleveland counts twice, which is why G.W. Bush is the 43rd President, but only the 42nd man to be President).

 

I foresee articles on another 11 or 12, plus a wrap-up page on heraldry and the other Presidents (what they said, bucket shop arms sometimes mentioned in connection with them, etc.)

 

Those on the agenda: Van Buren, the Harrisons, Polk, Taylor, Pierce, Hayes, Cleveland, Wilson, Coolidge, Hoover, maybe Nixon.

 

Cleveland is next in the queue; the shield is ready and I did the preliminary sketch of the crest last night. Not much substance, though.

 

I contacted the Rutherford Hayes presidential center Friday. They have a file of Hayes’s writing and correspondence on his arms. Apparently he used only the crest (on stationery, displayed at home). The file should provide some interesting reading; the curator says he evidently took a serious interest in the subject.

 

I will pursue the question of Van Buren’s supposed grant from the King of the Netherlands.

 

The Harrisons were members of an old and very prominent Virginia Tidewater family that seemed to have had chronic problems deciding what its arms were. I’ll do a piece on the four totally different coats used by the family, including those on display at W. H. Harrison’s home.

 

Polk was a descendant of a Scottish knight who was armigerous, and the ancestor’s arms were evidently used (undifferenced) by Polk’s relatively close family, if not by the President himself.

 

Taylor’s family had an old crested seal that had passed down through the family, and the President’s son (Confederate General Dick Taylor) had the crest engraved on a silver snuffbox. Interesting case of a family using a crest but not the arms.

 

Pierce and Coolidge were members of New England families to whom arms were attributed by 19th and early 20th century heraldists. I’ve seen nothing to suggest either actually used them, but will report these as attributed arms.

 

One of our members—don’t recall who—found that Woodrow Wilson displayed a print of what were supposed to be his arms at his home after leaving the White House. Clearly a bucket shop production (they are the arms of the a totally unconnected family of English baronets) and thus a useful cautionary tale—even a president of Princeton can be fooled.

 

When Hoover was elected, the Swiss-American community seems to have gotten as excited as the Swiss ever get, and several articles were published about his purported ancestral arms, including one by our namesakes, the earlier American Heraldry Society. I have some material coming from the University of Wisconsin, which holds one of the key publications. I think there’s also an article in the journal of the Swiss Heraldry Society that I’ll have to dig up at the Library of Congress.

 

The wrap up page will have notes concerning Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Tyler, Buchanan, Grant, Truman, and Nixon, and perhaps others.

 

Plenty to keep me busy for a while.

 
Patrick Williams
 
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Patrick Williams
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26 November 2007 16:28
 

And thank you for doing it! This series is a fascinating one and I believe that in the end will also be an important contribution to heraldic literature.

 
Chuck Glass
 
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Chuck Glass
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26 November 2007 22:04
 

Thank you so much for your exhaustive research in this area.  I’m really pleased that we will have such a comprehensive catalog of the American presidents’ arms, and that it’s so thoroughly researched and documented.  I just wish there was a way to promote heraldry to all of the people who have and will hold the office of President, as well as Vice President, members of congress the Supreme Court, state governors, etc.  Highly visible people such as these would really help in the advancement of heraldry in the U.S.  It seems that our Canadian friends are much more advanced in regard to their leaders possessing arms.  But of course, their institution of heraldry is much more established than anything we have.

I look forward to seeing the section on the states’ coats of arms completed, too.

 
eploy
 
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eploy
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26 November 2007 22:49
 

Charles Glass;51595 wrote:

I just wish there was a way to promote heraldry to all of the people who have and will hold the office of President, as well as Vice President, members of congress the Supreme Court, state governors, etc.  Highly visible people such as these would really help in the advancement of heraldry in the U.S.


Let’s also not forget the likes of Colin Powell and presumably other military officers and notables.

 

Indeed Joseph, thank you for all your work.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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26 November 2007 22:53
 

eploy;51596 wrote:

Let’s also not forget the likes of Colin Powell and presumably other military officers and notables.


Robert E. Lee and Winfield Scott to name two military leaders, off the top of my head.

 

From the Navy:  John Paul Jones, Farragut, Dewey, Preble, Decatur.  Other yet to be found, I’m sure.


Quote:

Indeed Joseph, thank you for all your work.


My pleasure!

 
eploy
 
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eploy
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27 November 2007 01:20
 

Charles Glass;51595 wrote:

I just wish there was a way to promote heraldry to all of the people who have and will hold the office of President, as well as Vice President, members of congress the Supreme Court, state governors, etc.  Highly visible people such as these would really help in the advancement of heraldry in the U.S.


For starters couldn’t the AHS bring this series to the attention of the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, the U.S. Army’s Institute of Heraldry & The White House at:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/?  There is also the White House Historical Association at:  http://www.whitehousehistory.org/.  This would be one plausible way to gain public exposure for American heraldry.

 

Edward P.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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27 November 2007 06:30
 

TIOH knows about it, as I’ve discussed it with Charles Mugno, the Institute’s director.  I will be preparing a presentation based on the series for a seminar with the Institute staff, timing to be decided depending on determination of a mutually workable date.

 
eploy
 
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eploy
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27 November 2007 07:00
 

Joseph McMillan;51600 wrote:

TIOH knows about it, as I’ve discussed it with Charles Mugno, the Institute’s director.  I will be preparing a presentation based on the series for a seminar with the Institute staff, timing to be decided depending on determination of a mutually workable date.


Joseph please let us know the outcome.  It would also be nice for you or AHS to contact the White House Historical Association.  (See how free I am with Joseph’s time?  :D ).  I look forward to reading future installments.

 

Best regards,

 

Edward P.

 
arriano
 
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arriano
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04 January 2010 14:42
 

Found this web page today on the Nixon Library Foundation web site:

=haviland&xsearch_id=store_search” class=“bbcode_url”][url=http://www.nixonlibraryfoundation.org/index.php?src=directory&view=products&xsearch]http://www.nixonlibraryfoundation.org/index.php?src=directory&view=products&xsearch[0]=haviland&xsearch_id=store_search[/url]

 

It’s reproduced china from two presidential administrations. For the Grant china it states: "Lissac, painter-engraver of Haviland then transmitted these designs to porcelain, adding the same yellow-colored border, as well as the Grant coat of arms to each."

 

The picture is too small for me to make out the coat shown on the edge.

 

The Pierce china appears to have a blank shield in the center.

 
emrys
 
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emrys
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05 January 2010 04:10
 

on this site there are bigger pictures of White House china including those of Grant.

http://www.americanheritage1.com/white_house_china.htm

 
arriano
 
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arriano
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05 January 2010 11:15
 

Well, that just looks like the U.S. arms on the Grant china. And on closer inspection, the Grant china on this web site looks different than the one on the Nixon web site. Different flower and I think a different coat of arms. The Pierce china appears to be the same on both web sites.

 
emrys
 
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emrys
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05 January 2010 16:57
 

on the site it is mentioned that 24 different flowers designs were used to decorate the china so it is normal for this plate to have a different flower on it then the one displayed at the Nixon web site

 
arriano
 
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arriano
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16 March 2011 13:39
 

According to info on the Franklin Pierce University web site, in 1966 "Professor Stellan Wollmar designs college seal from Pierce family coat-of-arms with date of college founding and motto." Unknown if the professor had access to arms of Franklin Pierce’s ancestors or simply used a bucket shop Pierce arms.

Here are the school’s arms from the 1966 commencement program:

http://library.franklinpierce.edu/chronology/media/FirstCommencement1966a.pdf

 

Here’s the university’s current seal:

http://www.franklinpierce.edu/about/news/for_the_media.htm

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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Joseph McMillan
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16 March 2011 14:56
 

Doing more on Pierce is on my list.  I can’t find anything to suggest he ever used the arms and have found contradictory information as to whether his family was among those who did use the arms reported.

 
Hugh Brady
 
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Hugh Brady
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18 March 2011 12:47
 

I believe the New Hampshire state library has a book with a bookplate of his or his son, and also one for a book belonging to his wife’s family. I went by there many years ago, let me see if I have any copies/notes.

 
snelson
 
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snelson
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17 September 2014 00:15
 

Hi all,

While watching the new series on PBS about the Roosevelts I saw what looked like a coat of arms in scenes filmed in FDR’s "Little White House" at Warm Springs, Georgia (where he passed away).

 

Here is a photo I found online:

 

http://n4trb.com/LittleWhiteHouse/images/LittleWhiteHouse023.jpg

 

Can anyone tell me whose arms these are?

 

Many thanks!