20 Things You Didn't Know About the Vice Presidency
Until 1977, Vice Presidents Were On Their Own For Housing
- Photo:
- U S News & World Report Collection/Thomas O'Halloran/PhotoQuest
- Getty Images
In 1977, VP Walter Mondale became the first to live in an official Vice Presidential residence. We all know Vice Presidents don’t live in the actual White House, but it’s a little-known fact that prior to Mondale, veeps were responsible for their own private accommodations.
- Photo:
The First Vice President Made $5,000
- Photo:
- Henry Guttmann/Hulton Archive
- Getty Images
In 2011, Vice President Joe Biden earned $230,700. Not too shabby. In 1789, however, Vice President John Adams got a measly $5,000. It was worth a lot back then, but sounds a bit crazy now.
- Photo:
According To Roosevelt, Being VP Is A “Stepping Stone” To “Oblivion”
- Photo:
- Topical Press Agency
- Getty Images
Theodore Roosevelt was one of many politicians, even presidents, to talk smack about the office of the Vice Presidency. As a man who once served in that very position, Roosevelt was quoted as saying of the job, “It is not a stepping stone to anything” before adding “except oblivion.”
- Photo:
Alaska And Texas Named Towns After Veeps
- Photo:
- Herman Brosius
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
In general, the vice presidency isn't full of the pomp and circumstance of being president. But there are some fun perks. For example, Dallas, Texas is named after George Dallas, vice president for James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849. And Fairbanks, Alaska takes its name from Vice President Charles Fairbanks, who served under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1905-1909.
- Photo:
The Name "Veep" Came From Truman's VP's Son
- Photo:
- Harris and Ewing
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Not many people remember the 35th Vice President. Alben W. Barkley served under Truman from 1949 to 1953. And his grandson may have made an even greater mark on history. Barkley's grandson, Stephen M. Truitt, came up with the nickname "veep," and the press started using it. And the rest is history.
- Photo:
You Can Be Vice President Forever
- Photo:
- David Lienemann
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
For decades, presidents could serve as many terms as they wanted. Only the precedent set by George Washington limited later presidents to two terms. But after FDR, who famously won the White House four times, a Constitutional amendment limited the president to two terms. But there's no term limit for the vice president. Theoretically, someone could hold the office forever.
- Photo:
VPs Didn’t Even Go To Cabinet Meetings Until Woodrow Wilson
Vice Presidents mostly waited around to see if the president dropped dead for the first century of American history. Other than that, they really didn't do much. It wasn't until 1913 that President Woodrow Wilson thought to invite his vice president, Thomas Marshall, to cabinet meetings. Before that, VPs were left in the dark by the chief executive, and mostly focused on their role in the legislative branch.
One VP Hid In Cuba After Being Charged With Treason
- Photo:
- Mathew Brady and Levin Corbin Handy
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Ever heard of John Breckinridge? He might be the most notorious VP in history, and that's including the vice president who killed someone in office (ahem, Aaron Burr). When Breckinridge was James Buchanan's VP in the 1850s, he was charged with treason. Breckinridge fled to Cuba, and his boat was attacked by pirates on the way. After years in exile, President Andrew Johnson granted the VP amnesty and he returned to the U.S.
- Photo:
Since The 1940s, VPs Have Been Autographing Their Desk
- Photo:
- Lawrence Jackson
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Vice Presidents are really into graffiti. No, really. The Vice Presidential desk contains the signature of every VP since the 1940s. The desk is part of the White House collection, and the inside of the top drawer also contains the names of presidents who used the desk.
- Photo:
Vice President Johnson Was Hammered For His Inauguration
- Photo:
- Mathew Brady
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
This isn’t an urban legend. Even the official website of the United States Senate agrees. Andrew Johnson really liked to party. Either that or he had a crippling addiction to alcohol. In any case, one senator said of his performance, “The inauguration went off very well except that the Vice President Elect was too drunk to perform his duties & disgraced himself & the Senate by making a drunken foolish speech.”
- Photo:
Biden Is One of Eight VPs to Throw the First Pitch on Opening Day
- Photo:
- Chuck Kennedy
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Vice Presidents do get some pretty cool opportunities. In 1968, Hubert Humphrey threw out the first pitch at opening day of the baseball season. In 2009, Joe Biden revived the tradition. All together, eight VPs have thrown out the first pitch on opening day.
- Photo:
Three VPs Share A Birthday
Were you born on August 27th? If so, you have a good shot at becoming Vice President. Lyndon Johnson, Hannibal Hamlin, and Charles Dawes were all born on the same date. So if that's your birthday, too, start packing to move into the VP's house.
Two VPs Died Under James Madison
- Photo:
- John Vanderlyn
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
President James Madison had some notably bad luck. And he was probably the worst president to serve under. That's because two of Madison's VPs died on the job. His first vice president, George Clinton, died suddenly in 1812. And then Madison's next VP, Elbridge Gerry, died after less than two years.
- Photo:
We Probably Already Had A Gay Vice President
- Photo:
- George Cooke
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
It was an open secret in the 1850s that Senator William Rufus DeVane King was probably gay. When he became vice president in 1852 under James Buchanan, rumors swirled that the two were in a romantic relationship. No one knows for sure, but King does hold the record for the shortest tenure as vice president in history. He died only a month after his inauguration.
- Photo:
A VP Got Married In Office To A Woman Half His Age
- Photo:
- Hessler Studio
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Remember Alben Barkley? When he became vice president in 1949, Barkley was still a bachelor. The 72-year-old didn't give up on love, though. That year, he met Jane Hadley, a 38 year old, at a party. The two married later that year, making Barkely the only VP to marry while on the job.
- Photo:
Four VPs Had To Tell The Senate They Lost The Presidency
- Photo:
After the electoral college votes, the outgoing VP has to certify the results and announce them to the Senate. Sounds pretty straightforward, but it must have been miserable for the three vice presidents who had to announce their own presidential defeats. In 1860, VP Breckinridge had to declare Lincoln the winner, in 1960 Nixon had to announce JFK as president, and in 1968 VP Hubert Humphrey had to announce Nixon as president. Finally, Al Gore had to declare Bush the winner after the closely contested election in 2000.
The VP Has A Theme Song, Too
- Photo:
Everyone knows that a Presidential visit isn't complete without hearing “Hail to the Chief.” But most people don't realize that the Vice President has his own song. When the VP makes appearances, “Hail Columbia” announces his arrival.
Two VPs Were Charged With Treason
- Photo:
- Mathew Brady
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Treason is a pretty serious crime. And shockingly, two Vice Presidents were charged with treason. After fleeing to the south and becoming a Confederate army general, former VP John Breckinridge was charged with treason. And, more famously, Aaron Burr was also charged with treason – but not for the reason you might assume. After killing Alexander Hamilton, Burr went on to attempt to form his own nation, which ran afoul of treason laws.
- Photo:
Three VPs Won The Nobel Peace Prize
- Photo:
When Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work surrounding global warming, he joined an elite club. The only other Vice President Nobel Peace Prize winners were Charles Dawes (for creating an airplane after WWI) and Teddy Roosevelt (for helping to end the Russo-Japanese war).
Only Four VPs Have Announced Their Presidential Victories To The Senate
- Photo:
- Mathew Brady
- Wikimedia Commons
- Public Domain
Surprisingly, only four Vice Presidents successfully ran for president to succeed their boss and won. That means only four VPs announced their electoral victories to the Senate during the electoral college certification. The list includes John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, and George H.W. Bush. In fact, when Bush was elected in 1988, he was the first successful VP to run for the presidency since 1836.
- Photo:
