Two Star Presidents: James Garfield

What we say: James Garfield, a former senator from Ohio, sought to unite party factions with a balanced cabinet.  He was assassinated two months into his term.

James Abram Garfield’s largest accomplishment was his decision to choose Chester Arthur as his vice president, who would go on to sponsor civil-service reform.  Given his short term, Garfield did get a nominee appointed to the Supreme Court.  The in-fighting within the Republican Party during Garfield’s election was revealed in Garfield’s cabinet’s nominees and in his assassination – his assassin reportedly screamed his support for the Republican faction opposed to Garfield.