By Brad Dison
On January 30, 1882, Franklin D. Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family at Hyde Park, New York. In 1887, when Franklin was just five years old, his father took him to meet President Grover Cleveland. During the meeting, Grover looked down at little Franklin and said in a disgruntled voice, “My little man, I am making a strange wish for you. It is that you may never be President of the United States.” Grover Cleveland’s wish did not come true. Franklin Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States. He is the only U.S. president in history to serve more than two terms. Most of us associate Franklin as being wheelchair bound because of polio, but as a young man Franklin competed in sports such as polo, tennis, golf, and sailing. In 1900, Franklin entered Harvard College where he participated in various sports.
On October 14, 1890, David Dwight Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas. Shortly after his birth, Dwight’s mother reversed his first and middle names to avoid him being confused with his father who was also named David. In high school, Dwight excelled in his coursework and in sports. Dwight was such a good student and athlete that he earned an appointment at the United States Military Academy, more commonly known as West Point. As he had done in high school, Dwight excelled in the military and quickly rose through the ranks. In December 1943, President Franklin Roosevelt selected him as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. In 1953, Dwight began his tenure as the 34th President of the United States.
On February 6, 1911, Ronald Reagan was born in an apartment in Tampico, Illinois. At Dixon High School, Reagan was mostly interested in drama and football. In 1928, Reagan worked his way through Eureka College as a lifeguard. Reagan played on the college football team and acted in school plays. After college, he worked as a sports announcer until a screen test enabled him to become a Hollywood actor. He became president of the Screen Actors Guild, and then governor of California. In January 1981, he became the 40th President of the United States. His vice-president was George Herbert Walker Bush.
On July 6, 1946, while attending Yale, George and Barbara Bush had a son whom they named George Walker Bush. George W. participated in sports in high school and attended Phillips Academy before transferring to his father’s alma mater, Yale. George W. played on the college rugby team. In January 2001, he became the 43rd President of the United States.
The aforementioned Presidents of the United States certainly loved sports, especially in college. During their college years, each of them participated in a sport which until 1923 was only available to men. During World War II, women were accepted in the sport only because of the large number of collegiate men who were being drafted into the military. Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush were all college cheerleaders.
Sources:
1. “Franklin D. Roosevelt,” The White House Historical Association, accessed February 16, 2025, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/franklin-roosevelt.
2. “Dwight D. Eisenhower,” The White House Historical Association, accessed February 16, 2025, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/dwight-eisenhower.
3. “Ronald Reagan,” The White House Historical Association, accessed February 16, 2025, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/ronald-reagan.
4. “George W. Bush,” The White House Historical Association, accessed February 16, 2025, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/george-w-bush.
5. “A New Deal,” Thirteen PBS, accessed February 16, 2025, https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/historyofus/web12/segment3.html.