1. Prior Political Career
Presidents who had been
Vice Presidents
| VP period |
| John Adams | 1789-1797 |
| Thomas Jefferson | 1797-1801 |
| Martin Van Buren | 1833-1837 |
| John Tyler | 1841 |
| Millard Fillmore | 1849-1850 |
| Andrew Johnson | 1865 |
| Chester Arthur | 1881 |
| Theodore Roosevelt | 1901 |
| Calvin Coolidge | 1921-1923 |
| Harry S Truman | 1945 |
| Richard Nixon | 1953-1961 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | 1961-1963 |
| Gerald Ford | 1973-1974 |
| George H.W. Bush | 1981-1989 |
| Joe Biden | 2009-2017 |
Presidents who had been
Governors
| | State |
| Andrew Jackson * | Florida |
| John Tyler | Virginia |
| James Polk | Tennessee |
| Andrew Johnson * | Tennessee |
| Rutherford Hayes | Ohio |
| Grover Cleveland | New York |
| William McKinley | Ohio |
| Theodore Roosevelt | New York |
| William Taft ** | Philippines |
| Woodrow Wilson | New Jersey |
| Calvin Coolidge | Massachusetts |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | New York |
| Jimmy Carter | Georgia |
| Ronald Reagan | California |
| Bill Clinton | Arkansas |
| George W. Bush | Texas |
(*): appointed military governor
(**): appointed civil governor
Presidents who held
Cabinet Positions
| | Position |
| James Madison | Sec. of War |
| James Monroe | Sec. of War |
| John Quincy Adams | Sec. of State |
| Martin van Buren | Sec. of State |
| James Buchanan | Sec. of State |
| William Taft | Sec. of War |
| Herbert C. Hoover | Sec. of Commerce |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | Ass. Sec of Navy |
| George H.W. Bush | UN Ambassador, CIA head |
Presidents who achieved
high ranks in the military
| | Military Rank |
| George Washington | General of the Armies of U.S. |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | General of the Army |
| Ulysses S. Grant | General of the Army |
| Andrew Jackson | Major General |
| William H. Harrison | Major General |
| Zachary Taylor | Major General |
| Rutherford B. Hayes | Major General (vol.) |
| James A. Garfield | Major General (vol.) |
| Franklin Pierce | Brigadier General (vol.) |
| Andrew Johnson | Brigadier General (vol.) |
| Benjamin Harrison | Brigadier General (vol.) |
Other Presidents with exceptional
Military Service
| James Monroe | Rev. War - Major: Crossed the Delaware with G.Washington |
| William McKinley | Civil War - Major (vol.): present at N.Virginia surrender |
| Theodore Roosevelt | Spanish American War: led charge up San Juan Hill |
| Harry S Truman | WW I - Colonel in Field Artillery; served in Europe |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | WW II - Navy Commander; aw. Silver Star |
| Richard Nixon | WW II - Navy Commander; served in South Pacific |
| Gerald Ford | WW II - Navy Lt.Commander; aw. 10 battle stars |
| John F. Kennedy | WW II - Navy Lieut.;PT boat commander, aw.Purple Heart |
| George H.W. Bush | WW II - Navy Pilot; shot down 3 times, aw.Flying Cross |
3. Post-Presidency career
Presidents with Distinguished Public service after
their Presidency
| John Quincy Adams | Congressman, for 18 years |
| Grover Cleveland | Re-elected president after 4 years |
| William Taft | Chief Justice for 9 years |
| Herbert Hoover | Administrator, relief in Europe, 1945 |
| Jimmy Carter | Carter Presidential Center, Nobel 2002 |
