38th President: Gerald R. Ford

All things considered, especially after the Watergate scandal, President Ford did well for the presidency. It seems he is remembered as yet another president who restored some integrity to the office in the mind of the public.

I am grateful for Gerald R. Ford.

37th President: Richard M. Nixon

It was John F. Kennedy who declared the national goal that by the end of the decade (the 1960s), an American would walk on the moon. Richard Nixon's presidency saw that happen in 1969.

Of course, there was also the controversial Vietnam War at the time as well. Also, Nixon is perhaps most well known by the Watergate scandal, which led to his resignation. But, I am grateful even for that because I was once an intern in the Watergate building in Washington D.C., just a few floors above the former DNC offices. I'm grateful for this because of the opportunity to discover the Watergate complex. Had the scandal not happened, I probably wouldn't have heard of this place as much or cared as much, especially as I discovered how nice the complex is, and the quality of the restaurants and shops there. I now see the scandal as but one piece of the building's history.

I have one more reason to be grateful for Nixon: his 1972 visit to China. Why? Because a man named John Adams wrote an opera about it. I once was writing a paper on the history of minimalistic music, and I ran into this opera in my research. I also watched a DVD recording of it. It is a long, slow, and sometimes nonsensical piece, part satire and part melancholy reflection. Still, I was impressed that a full-length opera had been written on so recent a subject. And truly, Nixon's visit to China was noteworthy, given the history of China and the United States.

Take all this as you will, I am grateful for Richard M. Nixon.

36th President: Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson was the president through some of the most intense years of the civil rights movenent. It was during his presidency that the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were put into law. His presidency also saw the formation of Medicare and Medicaid.

Even with these achievements, I can imagine race riots, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the issues surrounding the Vietnam War encouraged his decision to not seek a second presidential term.

Nevertheless, I am grateful for Lyndon B. Johnson.

35th President: John F. Kennedy

Ten presidents ago, America had John F. Kennedy. Every president must handle tough issues in tough times. In his case, the Berlin Wall was built in his time, and the Cuban Missile Crisis was in full swing.

He is remembered for his youth, his Catholicism, his role as a civil rights advocate, and many other things. But of course, most memorable was his tragic assassination. It certainly wasn't the first time an American president was killed while in office, but it was the most memorable.

I am grateful for John F. Kennedy. I am grateful that he established the Peace Corps. I am also grateful that his life and work was found worthy of a Pulitzer Prize (for his biography, Profiles in Courage).

34th President: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Do you like Ike? Well, I do, and evidently most Americans in the mid 1950s to early 1960s did too. President Eisenhower helped keep peace in a time of the Cold War and Sputnik. One source called his time in office "a time of great national pride."

I am grateful for Dwight D. Eisenhower.

33rd President: Harry S. Truman

"The Buck Stops Here"

Here is an example of a president who had extremely low approval ratings when he left office(Gallup Poll in 1952 showed 22%), but then became very well respected in his retirement and eventual passing (he died around the time of the Vietnam War and Watergate, so people looked back at his presidency with greater respect).

His associates said he worked very hard, and I believe it. He had to lead the country through the finishing of WWII (including the releasing of the atomic bombs that led to the end of the war), the Nuremberg Trials, a continuation of the New Deal, the Korean War, and the Red Scare with the start of the Cold War.

I am grateful for Harry S. Truman.

32nd President: Franklin D. Roosevelt

What an incredible leader was Franklin D. Roosevelt. No matter how you feel about Democratic policies, I think all can agree that he did so much to help America recover from the Great Depression. What's amazing is that he didn't just try to offer physical or financial aid, he offered emotional aid. Taking advantage of radio technology, he spoke words of hope, confidence, and encouragement to the American people. From the Great Depression through WWII, this nation triumphed through some very dark times thanks in part to FDR.

In my most recent visit to Washington D.C., I discovered the FDR Memorial for the first time. I was blown away by the stoic beauty of the site. Each facet of the place begged for me to walk through and examine it all slowly. I especially loved the statues of the American people of the time. There is one that depicts several thin, desperate men lined up at a bread line for their food. My favorite was a more intimate sculpture depicting a blue-collar man (or a farmer, perhaps) sitting near his radio, leaning towards it, listening in earnest to the speeches of FDR.

Although Constitutional amendments now forbid any president from serving more than two terms, I think we can all agree that this four-term president was there when the country needed him most.Of course, his wife, Eleanor, was equally accomplished in her own right, but I choose to focus this particular post on Franklin because of my intent to focus on the presidents themselves.

I am grateful for Franklin D. Roosevelt.