Visits by United States Presidents

President Presidential Status Date
Rutherford B. Hayes Sons attended Cornell in 1870s.
Ulysses S. Grant current Sep. 27-28, 1876 Visits his son, Jesse Root Grant 1877; tours campus with Andrew Dickson White on the 27th.
James A. Garfield future Oct. 29-30, 1878 Leading Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Garfield delivers a lecture on the 30th after spending the previous evening with Andrew Dickson White.
Woodrow Wilson future 1887 Delivers lecture.
Theodore Roosevelt future Jun. 20-21, 1899 Governor of New York, Roosevelt plants two Norway spruce trees on the 20th at Delta Kappa Epsilon on South Avenue in commemoration of Rough Rider Clifton Beckwith Brown 1900. Brown died in 1898 at San Juan Hill, the first Cornellian to die in combat.
Theodore Roosevelt future Oct. 29, 1900
William Howard Taft future Oct. 26-27, 1904 As Secretary of War, delivers address at Republican rally at Lyceum theatre on Wednesday, and gives short address to College of Law students in Room A of Boardman Hall on Thursday. Stays in Ithaca as guest of President Schurman.
Theodore Roosevelt future Oct. 24, 1910
Theodore Roosevelt future Oct. 22, 1914 As manager of Frederick M. Davenport's campaign for governor, Roosevelt arrives in Ithaca for a Progressive Party mass meeting at the Lyceum Theater featuring speeches by Davenport and Senator Josiah Newcomb.
William Howard Taft former Mar. 2-5, 1915 As a professor at Yale Law College, Taft delivers lectures entitled "The Anti-Trust Law" and "Signs of the Times" to "the greatest audience in Cornell's history": 3,000 people in Bailey Hall. He also presents two Goldwin Smith lectures on anti-trust laws and one on the powers of the presidency. Taft stayed with Jacob Gould Schurman in the presidential mansion.
William Howard Taft former Feb. 16, 1916 As a professor at Yale Law College, Taft delivers four Goldwin Smith lectures: "Our World Relationships and Preparedness," "The Supreme Court and Popular Government," "The League to Enforce Peace," and "The Limits of Jurisdiction of the Three Branches of the Federal Government." Taft stayed with Jacob Gould Schurman in the presidential mansion.
William Howard Taft former May 3-6, 1916 As a professor at Yale Law College, Taft delivers four lectures on the presidency. Taft has dinner at the Acacia fraternity at 708 E. Seneca St. as an honorary member at Yale. He stayed with Jacob Gould Schurman in the presidential mansion.
William Howard Taft former Apr. 13, 1918 As a professor at Yale Law College, Taft delivers a lecture in Bailey Hall.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt future Feb. 13, 1931 Attends the 24th Farm and Home Week of the College of Agriculture as Governor of New York. He presents medals at the Master Farmer banquet in Willard Straight and gives an address on state forest and land-use policy.
George Herbert Walker Bush future 1946 Plays baseball for Yale in two games on Hoy Field. Game scores are 3-1 Cornell and 4-1 Yale.
George Herbert Walker Bush future 1948 Plays baseball for Yale on Hoy Field. The score is 4-3 Yale.
Ronald Reagan future 1950s Attends dedication of Cornell Business Technology Park research building donated by General Electric as the host of "General Electric Theater" on television.
Richard Nixon future Oct. 17, 1956 Visits campus as vice-president and meets with Deane Malott, Dean of Law Robert Stevens, and former attorney general William Rogers JD '37.
Harry Truman former Apr. 18, 1960 Delivers lecture entitled "The American President" to 9,000 people in Bailey Hall, presented by the Student Government Executive Board. He stayed at the Statler Hotel.
Dwight D. Eisenhower former May 17, 1963 Attends luncheon at the A. D. White House hosted by Malott and delivers a 2:00 PM lecture in Bailey Hall entitled "An Informal Address" presented by the President of Cornell University and The Distinguished Visitors Program.
Jimmy Carter future 1975-1976? Campaigns in Ithaca (picture appears in "In Honor Bound" publication).
Gerald Ford former Jun. 11, 1983 Delivers lecture at Reunions entitled "Mandatory Requirements for Economic Prosperity in the 1980s."
William Jefferson Clinton former May 29, 2004 Delivers address on Schoellkopf Field as convocation speaker.