Missouri’s President for a Day: David Rice Atchison

Senator David Rice Atchison may have been the United States President for 24-hours. The official US records beg to differ.

Long before Harry S Truman became President, Missouri did have another man that could lay claim to being the Commander in Chief. But it only lasted a day. The way this played out is a bit complex, so you can make your own decision on if Missouri has had two Presidents.

The 24-Hour Window

Zachary Taylor was elected president in 1848 to replace outgoing President James K. Polk. Polk’s term ended at noon on Sunday, March 4th. Taylor did not want to take the oath of office on a Sunday, so he postponed it until Monday, March 5th. That meant there was a gap between when Polk left office and Taylor took office. So, who was the President in that 24-hour span?

The law at the time read:

“…in case of the removal, death, resignation or disability of both the President and Vice President of the United States, the President of the Senate Pro Tempore shall act as President.”

US Law as of March 1, 1792

President John Rice Atchison

That is where Missouri Senator Atchison comes into play. David Rice Atchison set up a law practice in Liberty in Cass County prior to his election to the Senate. He worked his way up the ranks of the chamber and became President of the Senate Pro Tempore at the time of the inauguration. So, according to the law referenced above, the case is made that he ascended to the Presidency. Keep in mind that he was never sworn in, never laid claim to the office, and likely didn’t even know he was President (if he was).¹ But someone had to be in charge, and the best evidence says it was him. Even the state of Missouri recognizes him as having “the singular honor of having served as U.S. President for one day.“²

Legal Scholars Don’t Buy It

The Senate and other legal experts say it’s not so cut and dry. According to the official U.S. Senate website, “(n)either the Congressional Globe nor the Senate Journal included any suggestion that there was a vacancy in the presidency prior to Taylor’s inauguration on the 5th, yet the notion that Atchison had briefly ascended to the office of president of the United States began to circulate.”³ So the official government records say no, although it may have been an oversight. Others, like the State of Missouri, continue to proclaim that for 24-hours, the man from Liberty was the acting President of the United States.

Senator David Rice Atchison

• Set up law practice in 1829 in Liberty.
• Became the youngest Missouri Senator in history at age 36.
• Was the attorney for the Mormons’ Joseph Smith during the Mormon Extermination Order.⁴
• Favored slavery and wanted to repeal of the Missouri Compromise.
• He died at his home in Gower, Missouri and is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Plattsburg in Clinton County.

Side Note: There are at least two First Ladies from Missouri – and maybe 3 Presidents.

In addition to Bess Truman, Julia Dent Grant also grew up in the Show Me State. Julia and her husband, President Ulysses S. Grant lived on an 80-acre plantation that was a wedding gift from her father, Colonel Frederick Dent. They lived on the property for several years and had residency in the St. Louis area.⁵ So a case could be made that Missouri has had three U.S. Presidents. But that’s a debate for another day.

Bibliography

1. Senate stories: David Rice atchison: (not) president for a day. U.S. Senate: David Rice Atchison: (Not) President for a Day. (2023, August 7). https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/senate-stories/no-david-rice-atchison-was-not-president-for-a-day.htm ↩︎
2. Missouri House of Representatives – Hall of Famous Missourians
   Hall of Famous Missourians. Name. Date Inducted. John “Johnny” Luke Morris. 9/14/2021. Annie White Baxter. 8/26/2020. ↩︎
3. Senate stories: David Rice atchison: (not) president for a day. U.S. Senate: David Rice Atchison: (Not) President for a Day. (2023, August 7). https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/senate-stories/no-david-rice-atchison-was-not-president-for-a-day.htm ↩︎
4. Missouri House of Representatives – Hall of Famous Missourians
   Hall of Famous Missourians. Name. Date Inducted. John “Johnny” Luke Morris. 9/14/2021. Annie White Baxter. 8/26/2020. ↩︎
5. U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Hardscrabble: The House that grant built (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/places/hardscrabble-the-house-that-grant-built.htm
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