President Franklin Pierce’s burial place, Concord, New Hampshire
Deceased US Presidents
By Dr Khalid Siddiqui
Ohio
14. Franklin Pierce (1853-1857): He never lost an election in his entire political career.
He was the first president to deliver his inaugural address from memory. In 1853, he appointed James Campbell as the postmaster general. This was the first time a Catholic was included in the cabinet. A strong opposition to this nomination resulted in the formation of the American Party (also known as Know Nothing Party). When Pierce and his cabinet left office on March 4, 1857, it was the only time in US history that all original cabinet members remained for a full four-year term.
All his children (three sons) died during his lifetime. His wife, Jane Means Appleton Pierce, believed that the family’s misfortune was caused by her husband’s involvement with “dirty” politics. She didn’t attend her husband’s inauguration ceremony. This tragedy haunted Pierce’s presidency, and had an adverse effect on his job performance.
He was the only elected president to be denied re-nomination for the second term by his own party.
Der4gt7uk9o8a2Wslqsx/A heavy drinker for much of his life, he died in 1869 of cirrhosis of the liver.
His nickname was Handsome Frank.
