Benjamin Harrison

NAME Benjamin Harrison

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was best known for being the only U.S. president who was the grandson of another president—William Henry Harrison.

BIRTH Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833, at the family farm near North Bend, Ohio, by the Ohio River below Cincinnati. He was born into the prominent Harrison family of Virginia, being the second child of John Scott Harrison and Elizabeth Irwin Harrison.​

FAMILY BACKGROUND Harrison came from one of America's most distinguished political families. His great-grandfather, Benjamin Harrison V (1726-1791), was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and served as Governor of Virginia. His grandfather, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), served as the ninth President of the United States in 1840. His father, John Scott Harrison (1804-1878), was a farmer and served as a U.S. Congressman. His mother, Elizabeth Irwin Harrison, was described as a strict Presbyterian who provided loving but not demonstrably affectionate attention to her children. Benjamin grew up with three brothers and four sisters on a moderately prosperous farm.​

CHILDHOOD Benjamin had a relatively comfortable upbringing on his family's farm, "The Point," adjacent to his grandfather's vast estate in North Bend, Ohio. As a child, he hunted, fished, hauled wood, tended livestock, and studied at home with private tutors. He was surrounded by family and friends, which gave him a sense of order and self-assurance that he carried throughout his life. He especially loved spending hours reading in his grandfather's library on the nearby Harrison estate. 

The young Harrison developed a strong sense of duty and public service from his father and grandfather.

EDUCATION  He was educated initially at a nearby one-room schoolhouse and later by private tutors at home.  At age 15, he attended Farmers' College, a preparatory school in Cincinnati, for two years.​

After Farmers' College, Harrison attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He graduated with honors in 1852, ranking fourth in his class of 16 students. At his graduation, he delivered a speech on "England's Poor". A classmate later recalled that Harrison was "an earnest fellow who had no time for joining in any form of mischief or any moonlight serenade". (1)

Harrison c. 1850

After graduation, Harrison studied law at the Cincinnati office of Storer and Gwynne for two years. He was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1854.​

CAREER RECORD 1854–1880s: Moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he established a successful law practice, specializing in criminal and divorce cases. His successful prosecution of the infamous murderess Nancy Clem brought him state and national renown.

1857 He served as city attorney of Indianapolis, his first elected political office.

1860–1862, 1864–1868 Reporter for the Indiana Supreme Court. A non-politically powerful role that provided steady income from preparing and publishing court opinions.

1881–1887: Elected by the Indiana state legislature. He championed veterans' pensions, high protective tariffs, and a modernized navy, and opposed the Chinese Exclusion Act. 

1889–1893: Defeated incumbent Grover Cleveland in the 1888 election and served as 23rd U.S. President 

1893-1901 After leaving office, he resumed his law practice served as chief counsel for Venezuela in a boundary dispute with British Guiana in 1899.​

APPEARANCE Harrison was a stocky figure with a large paunchy torso set atop short, stubby legs. He stood approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, making him one of the shorter presidents. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes, and light brown hair that had been corn-silk blond in his youth. 

Harrison wore a full beard with a reddish tinge. He was the fourth and last President to sport a full beard, which was distinctive, stately, and well-groomed, projecting an air of authority.

Official White House portrait of Benjamin Harrison, painted by Eastman Johnson

FASHION Harrison typically wore formal 19th-century attire suitable for a professional and statesman: high collars, dark tailored suits (often velvet for portraits), and a distinguished, formal bearing. His political opponents sometimes unfairly branded him as "Kid Gloves" to imply effete aristocracy, though he had served diligently in the field during the war.

CHARACTER Harrison was a man of discipline, intellect, and firm moral principle. Though reserved in public, he could be warm and humorous in private settings. His stiff and formal manner, however, often gave others the impression of arrogance, earning him the nickname “the Human Iceberg.” He disliked small talk and had little patience for inefficiency or incompetence among his staff.

“Integrity formed the backbone of Harrison’s character,” wrote biographer Harry J. Sievers, noting that his “active intellect, firmly backed by moral courage, made him a bulwark of political decency.” 

Behind the formality, he was affectionate and playful with his family.

SPEAKING VOICE Harrison spoke in a high, soft voice. Despite this, he was widely recognized as one of the most effective extemporaneous speakers of his generation. He could sway crowds of 30,000 with powerful speeches, though some noted he struggled to talk for two minutes in a room of five people. He is believed to be the first president to have his voice recorded, with a 36-second speech captured on a wax phonograph cylinder in 1889.​​ 

SENSE OF HUMOUR Harrison was not known for having a demonstrably light or outgoing sense of humor. He was considered a serious and highly principled man.

RELATIONSHIPS Harrison married Caroline Lavinia Scott on October 20, 1853, when he was twenty and she was twenty-one. They had met while he was a student at Miami University and she attended the nearby Oxford Female Institute, where her father was president. 

The couple had three children: Russell Benjamin Harrison (born August 12, 1854), Mary Scott Harrison (born April 3, 1858), and an infant daughter who died at birth in 1861.

Caroline was described as friendly and warm, in contrast to Benjamin's serious personality.  She died of tuberculosis in the White House on October 25, 1892, just 13 days before the 1892 presidential election.​

Official White House portrait of Caroline Harrison by Daniel Huntington, 1894

On April 6, 1896, at age 62, Harrison married 37-year-old Mary Scott Lord Dimmick, the niece of his first wife. This marriage caused a family breach, as his adult children from his first marriage refused to attend the wedding. The couple had one daughter, Elizabeth, born February 21, 1897. Mary survived Harrison by nearly half a century, dying in 1948.​

Harrison had a notoriously difficult relationship with many politicians, including those in his own party, due to his aversion to the spoils system and his ungracious manner when granting political favors.

MONEY AND FAME Harrison came from a family whose wealth had been diluted over generations, and he and Caroline struggled financially in the early years of their marriage. 

He began his law practice with a modest inheritance of $800 (equivalent to nearly $28,000 in 2024),  As a lawyer in Indiana in the 1870s, his income was $10,000 annually, an impressive sum for the time, allowing him to build a grand home in Indianapolis in 1874. By the time he became president, his law practice was extremely successful. During his post-presidency years, his legal services averaged $150,000 per year

At his death in 1901, he left an estate valued at approximately $400,000. Modern estimates suggest his net worth was approximately $5 million in today's dollars.​

FOOD AND DRINK Harrison's daily diet was remarkably rigid and routine. Breakfast was served at 8:00 a.m. sharp every day, consisting of coffee, eggs, and a bit of toast. Lunch was always at 1:00 p.m., typically featuring soup (often multiple soups in one day) and large sausages. His favorite foods reportedly included Blue Point oysters. 

Harrison eating blue point oysters by Chatgbt

MUSIC AND ARTS Harrison enjoyed music, especially patriotic songs, though he was not known as a patron of the arts.

 Harrison's wife Caroline was particularly musical, having studied music at the Oxford Female Institute. She played piano and organ, participated in the church choir, and taught music. 

During the Harrison administration, social dancing was especially enjoyed, and music performances at the White House were frequent. 

Caroline was also an accomplished artist who painted watercolors and china from her personal home studio, taking lessons from artist Paul Putzki and exhibiting her work locally.​

LITERATURE Harrison was more comfortable in the company of books than with people. He read widely on his own and was an intellectual, often writing articles about history and government after his presidency.

NATURE Harrison had a huge love of nature, particularly inspired by his visits to Yellowstone National Park, which he visited three times during his lifetime. This passion led to his pioneering conservation efforts. He successfully fought to limit Yellowstone land leased to hotels to 10 acres while serving in the U.S. Senate. 

He also loved hunting and frequently went on hunting trips, often in secret. One trip made national press when he accidentally shot a farmer's pig.​ 

When he lost the 1892 election, he told his family he felt like he had been "freed from prison," indicating his preference for private life over public duties.​ (2)

PETS The Harrison White House was filled with pets, as his extended family moved in with him. The most famous pet was a goat named "Old Whiskers" (also called "His Whiskers") that pulled the grandchildren in a cart. One memorable incident involved the goat running off with the grandchildren still in the cart, leading President Harrison to chase them down Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Old Whiskers image by All Creatures Great and Small

The family also kept several mixed-breed dogs, including Dash (a collie given to his grandchildren), and two opossums named Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection. Harrison built a fancy doghouse on the White House grounds for Dash.​ (3)

While living in the White House, Benjamin Harrison and his family had two opossums named Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection. (4)

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Harrison enjoyed hunting and fishing from childhood. He would often escape Washington to go on hunting trips, sometimes in secret. He loved spending time outdoors and took pleasure in selecting food for the family table at markets. When he lost the 1892 election, he told his family he felt like he had been "freed from prison," indicating his preference for private life over public duties.​

He also actively participated in Civil War reunions and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

Harrison was an avid baseball fan and became the first sitting president to attend a Major League Baseball game on June 6, 1892, watching the Cincinnati Reds defeat the Washington Senators in 11 innings. He even threw the ceremonial first pitch. (4)

SCIENCE AND MATHS Harrison showed interest in emerging technologies of his era. In 1891, he became the first president to have electricity installed in the White House. However, he was deeply afraid of being electrocuted and never touched the light switches himself, leaving that task to the White House staff. Sometimes lights would burn all night because he refused to turn them off. 

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Harrison was a devout Presbyterian his entire life. He joined the First Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis in 1854 and became a church elder. He taught Sunday school and was proudest of his lifelong service to the Presbyterian denomination, holding the position of deacon from his late twenties until his death. 

Harrison's religious faith instilled in him a sense of duty that underlay his political activities. In a letter to his son Russell, he wrote: "I hope you will renew your Christian faith and duties. It is a great comfort to trust God -- even if His providence is unfavorable. Prayer steadies one when he is walking in slippery places".  (5)

In his inaugural address, he drew upon Presbyterian theology, proclaiming that his oath "taken in the presence of the people becomes a mutual covenant".

POLITICS Harrison was initially a Whig who transitioned to the Republican Party as it formed. He campaigned vigorously for the party and held various positions including city attorney and secretary of the Republican State Committee. As senator and president, he championed protective tariffs, sound currency, pensions for Civil War veterans, civil rights for African Americans, and conservation. 

PRESIDENCY Benjamin Harrison’s presidency, which ran neatly from March 4, 1889, to March 4, 1893, was one of those curious stretches in American history when the country seemed to be trying to outgrow its trousers. The United States was swelling—industrially, geographically, and in self-confidence—and Harrison, a precise, serious man with a beard you could lose a small pen in, presided over it all like a headmaster watching his pupils suddenly discover steam power.

Harrison, a Republican from Indiana, won the White House in 1888 despite losing the popular vote to Democrat Grover Cleveland. (America has always had a soft spot for a good electoral paradox.) He won the Electoral College 233 to 168, and stepped into office just as the nation was hurtling from agrarian simplicity toward industrial capitalism. It was the golden age of tariffs, railroads, and men who looked like they’d been born wearing waistcoats.

1888 Harrison campaign handkerchief

Harrison’s term coincided with the famously spendy “Billion-Dollar Congress,” so named because for the first time the government’s budget topped the unthinkable figure of one billion dollars—a sum that today might just about buy you a mid-sized tech startup.

His administration passed a parade of laws that, depending on your perspective, either saved or infuriated the nation:

The McKinley Tariff (1890): This raised import duties to record levels to protect American manufacturers, which it did—though it also raised prices so much that voters promptly blamed Harrison for their expensive sugar bowls.

The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): America’s first stab at curbing monopolies, setting the stage for future trust-busting adventures.

The Sherman Silver Purchase Act (1890): The government began hoarding silver like a dragon, unintentionally laying the groundwork for the Panic of 1893.

Dependent and Disability Pensions Act (1890): Expanded Civil War veterans’ pensions and ballooned the budget further, though it earned him plenty of loyal Union Army votes.

He also pushed for labor reforms, creating the first federal mine safety laws and an eight-hour workday for government employees—revolutionary stuff in an age when “overtime” usually meant “until you faint.”

In one of history’s quieter surprises, Harrison turned out to be something of an early environmentalist. Under the Land Revision Act of 1891, he set aside a staggering 22 million acres of national forest reserves—proof that even a man nicknamed “the Human Iceberg” could care about trees. He also preserved ancient sites like Casa Grande in Arizona, making him the first president to treat America’s prehistory as something worth saving.

Harrison genuinely tried to push civil rights legislation for African Americans, proposing federal protection for Black voting rights in the South. Congress, in a sulk, refused to pass it. On the immigration front, he opened Ellis Island in 1890 as the nation’s first federal immigration station—a modest little decision that would soon welcome millions through its doors.

Harrison’s foreign policy, crafted largely by his energetic Secretary of State James G. Blaine, was big on diplomacy and light on gunfire. Together they:

Hosted the First Pan-American Conference (1889–1890), a meeting that laid the foundation for the modern Organization of American States.

Negotiated reciprocity treaties to boost trade with Latin America.

Modernized the Navy with shiny new steel warships, including the formidable USS Texas.

Submitted a treaty to annex Hawaii after the overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani—an idea the next administration promptly shelved.

And settled the Bering Sea seal dispute with Britain peacefully, in one of America’s earliest experiments with international arbitration.

It was diplomacy with the faint aroma of gunpowder in the background.

Harrison’s term saw a population boom on the map itself—six new stars on the flag: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington (1889), followed by Idaho and Wyoming (1890). No other president has ever had such a busy welcome committee.

Harrison lost the 1892 election to Grover Cleveland, completing one of American history’s oddest presidential ping-pong matches. He left office criticized for high prices and big spending, but history has been kinder. His presidency gave shape to modern federal governance, championed conservation, and strengthened both the economy and the Navy.

He may have lacked the magnetism of a Lincoln or the flair of a Roosevelt, but Benjamin Harrison governed with rectitude and purpose. In short: a man too stiff for small talk, too honest for corruption, and too busy building a modern America to worry about being liked.

SCANDAL While Harrison himself was known for his honesty and integrity, his 1888 campaign was marred by controversy. Republican National Chairman Matthew Quay allegedly set aside party money to buy votes in Indiana and New York. When Harrison attributed his victory to "Providence," Quay exclaimed that Harrison would never know "how close a number of men were compelled to approach... the penitentiary to make him President". Harrison made no excuse for campaign manager W.W. Dudley's alleged vote-buying and never spoke to him again. 

His second marriage to his first wife's niece, Mary Dimmick, caused family scandal and estrangement from his adult children, who suspected the relationship began before Caroline's death.​​

MILITARY RECORD Harrison volunteered to raise a regiment when President Lincoln called for 300,000 additional troops in July 1862. He organized the 70th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, initially commissioned as Second Lieutenant, then promoted to Captain two weeks later.

 In August 1862, Governor Morton gave him the commission of Colonel. Harrison believed in strict, systematic drilling and employed a drill master from Chicago using his own funds to train the men. He insisted on serving in the field with his men rather than staying home. 

The regiment saw extensive action in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. At the Battle of Resaca, Georgia, in May 1864, Harrison led his regiment in a charge against Confederate artillery, with his regiment suffering 156 casualties—the most of any Union regiment at that battle. 

He was promoted to brevet brigadier general in February 1865.​

Harrison during the Battle of Resaca leading the 70th Indiana, May 1864 

He was a strong champion of veterans and advocated tirelessly for Civil War veterans' pensions during his time in the Senate and Presidency.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Harrison's health was generally sound throughout most of his life, except for catching scarlet fever after the Civil War and a a brief physical breakdown in 1867 brought on by overwork. 

In early 1901, he developed influenza which progressed to pneumonia. His condition steadily declined over the course of about a month. and he passed away in March.

HOMES In May 1868, Harrison purchased a double lot on the west side of North Delaware Street in Indianapolis. In 1874, he and Caroline began construction of their 16-room Italianate-style house, carriage house, brick drive, and landscaping at a cost of $24,008.59. Harrison kept a detailed journal during construction. (6)

The family lived in the Delaware Street home except during his Senate years (1881-1887) and presidency (1889-1893). 

After Caroline's death in 1892, Harrison made several changes including the addition of an English-Regency front porch, electricity, and updated plumbing.

The home is now a National Historic Landmark and operates as the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site museum.​

Benjamin Harrison Home in Indianapolis, Indiana by Daniel Schwen 

TRAVEL Harrison traveled extensively during his presidency. In 1891, he took a major western trip covering 10,000 miles by train. The presidential train consisted of five cars and made numerous stops where Harrison delivered speeches. 

During his post-presidency, he traveled to Paris in 1899 to represent Venezuela in a boundary arbitration case. 

He also took vacations to Cape May, New Jersey, which had become a popular presidential retreat.​

DEATH Benjamin Harrison died from pneumonia on March 13, 1901, at his home at 1230 North Delaware Street in Indianapolis. He was 67 years old. He had developed influenza in early 1901, which progressed to pneumonia. His last words were: "Are the doctors here? Doctor, my lungs...". 

His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Indiana State Capitol on Saturday, March 16, 1901. Funeral services were held on Sunday, March 17, 1901. Poet James Whitcomb Riley delivered the funeral eulogy, depicting Harrison as a man both fearless and just. 

He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, next to his first wife Caroline. His second wife Mary and his children from his first marriage were later buried there as well.​

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA  Harrison has occasionally been portrayed in documentaries and television programs about presidential history, though he remains one of the lesser-depicted presidents.. The contemporary media often focused on his reserved demeanor ("The Human Iceberg") and his iconic full beard. 

ACHIEVEMENTS  23rd President of the United States (1889–1893)

First president to use electricity in the White House

First president to attend a Major League Baseball game

Argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court

Oversaw admission of six new states to the Union

Last U.S. president to wear a beard

Sources: (1) Miami University Libraries (2) Miller Center  (3) America Comes Alive (4) Encyclopaedia of Trivia (5) God and Country (6) Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site