Ulysses S. Grant: Farmer

Although he became Lincoln's most celebrated Civil War general and springboarded from that role to the White House, Ulysses S. Grant largely struggled in most of his other professional endeavors. One such endeavor, as described in Kate Havelin's biography Ulysses S. Grant, was his attempt to farm the 60 acres of land in St. Louis, Missouri, that had been gifted to him by his father-in-law. The appropriately named "Hardscrabble" farm initially failed to produce anything of significant growth beyond its trees, which Grant chopped down and sold as firewood on the streets of St. Louis as his family's main source of income. By the time Hardscrabble finally began yielding quality crops, Grant was unable to capitalize due to an economic downturn and his own health problems, forcing him to sell the farm by the late 1850s. 

Calvin Coolidge: Toy Maker

Unlike the previous presidents on this list, a 14-year-old Calvin Coolidge didn't need to support himself or a family while attending Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont. However, his father insisted on the fiscal lessons to be learned from employment, according to Hendrik Booraem's biography The Provincial, and so the elder Coolidge set up his son with a weekend job at the Ludlow Toy Manufacturing Company in 1886. It's unclear what specific duties the 30th president performed, but they likely included tasks such as sawing, gluing, and painting the wares. In his autobiography, Coolidge noted simply that he "came to know how toys and baby wagons were made" during his brief tenure at the factory. 

Harry S. Truman: Haberdasher

Upon returning home from World War I, Harry S. Truman teamed up with his Army buddy Eddie Jacobson to open a men's clothing store on the ground floor of the Glennon Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. A popular meeting place for other veterans, the Truman & Jacobson Haberdashery initially enjoyed brisk business, with Truman handling sales and bookkeeping and Jacobson overseeing inventory. However, the good fortune dissipated with the onset of a recession in the early 1920s, resulting in the store's closure in September 1922. Similar to Lincoln, Truman was saddled with the financial burden after his former partner declared bankruptcy, finally settling his debts in 1935.

Richard Nixon: Frozen Orange Juice Executive

After graduating from Duke Law School in 1937, Richard Nixon landed a job with the Wingert and Bewley law firm in his hometown of Whittier, California. However, the legal position apparently didn't quite satisfy his professional ambitions, and Nixon soon added the role of president of a frozen orange juice venture called the Citra-Frost Company to his résumé. According to eyewitness accounts, Nixon spent much of his free time diligently cutting and squeezing oranges in an attempt to make his side business a success. However, he couldn't quite solve the problem of proper packaging in a time before the development of frozen juice concentrate, and Citra-Frost went bankrupt after an attempt at storing plastic juice bags blew up a refrigerated boxcar.

Lyndon B. Johnson: Elevator Operator

As told in Volume 1 of Robert Dallek's Lone Star Rising biographical series, a 17-year-old Lyndon B. Johnson spent part of 1925 aiding his lawyer cousin in San Bernardino, California, with the hope of getting a leg up on a fledgling legal career. When it became apparent that the cousin couldn't provide the professional assistance he sought, Johnson spent about a month working as an elevator operator, before heading back home to Texas. Johnson later returned to San Bernardino during the 1964 presidential campaign and demonstrated that he remembered his vocational training from four decades earlier by taking passengers up and down the same elevator he once oversaw.

Gerald Ford: Football and Boxing Coach

After starring on a pair of national championship-winning football teams at the University of Michigan, Gerald Ford leaped at the chance to become an assistant football coach at Yale in 1935, with an eye toward earning his law degree from the esteemed institution. Things didn't initially go as smoothly as he'd hoped; the Yale administration denied his request to apply to the law school, believing he'd be too busy to juggle classes and professional responsibilities, before grudgingly allowing him to take a reduced course load in 1938. As part of his obligations, Ford also had to serve double duty as the school's boxing coach. As he recalled in Sports Illustrated in 1974, he took a crash course in the sport the summer before joining Yale by venturing "to the YMCA three times a week to get punched around by the Y's boxing coach." He wrote, "I didn't get good, but I got good enough to fool the Yale freshmen."

Ronald Reagan: Lifeguard

Ronald Reagan, of course, was a Hollywood actor before heading into politics, but even before that he was a celebrity in his hometown of Dixon, Illinois, for his exploits as a lifeguard. According to Anne Edwards' profile Early Reagan: The Rise to Power, the tall, athletic teenager embarked in 1926 on what became a regular summer gig on the banks of the Rock River, a tributary notorious for its strong undertow. Reagan frequently plunged into the water to pull out flailing swimmers, and afterward would carve a notch on a log to mark his success; by the end of seven summers, he had embedded 77 notches into the log. Reagan later referred to the experience in his autobiography as "one the best jobs I ever had," citing the figure of 77 lives saved as "one of the proudest statistics of my life."

Bill Clinton: Grocery Stock Boy/Comic Book Salesman

As he described to Conan O'Brien in 2017, Bill Clinton landed one of his first jobs at a local Hot Springs, Arkansas, grocery store at age 13. However, the store owner was suspicious of his stock boy's left-handed ways, thinking it a sign of demonic influence, and insisted on right-hand usage until Clinton awkwardly knocked over two glass jars of mayonnaise. The pair eventually smoothed things over, and the owner even let the young assistant sell his used comic books out of the store. But that particular venture didn't work out in the long run for Clinton, who lamented that he never should have parted with the classic comics that surely would fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars from collectors today.

• Why Are U.S. Presidents Called “Commanders in Chief”? 
• How Many Children Did Each President Have?
• Which U.S. Presidents Were Multilingual?

1 to 3 Children

In recent decades, the average number of children per U.S. family has hovered around two — a big difference from a century ago, when that number was closer to seven. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, to see some more modern presidents in this range of one to three children, including Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. 

Harry S. Truman: 1 
Warren G. Harding: 1 
Bill Clinton: 1 
Millard Fillmore: 2 
William McKinley: 2 
Calvin Coolidge: 2 
Herbert Hoover: 2 
Dwight D. Eisenhower: 2 
Lyndon B. Johnson: 2 
Richard Nixon: 2 
George W. Bush: 2 
Barack Obama: 2 
William Howard Taft: 3 
Franklin Pierce: 3 
Chester A. Arthur: 3 
Woodrow Wilson: 3 
Benjamin Harrison: 3 
James Monroe: 3

4 to 6 Children

Many presidents fathered four or more children, but many also suffered the loss of a child. Child mortality rates were once far higher than they are now, and this difficult loss was not uncommon even among presidents. Abraham Lincoln, Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt are among the presidents who lost a child. Lincoln lost two sons during his lifetime, which may have caused his “melancholy” — a condition now thought to be clinical depression. 

John Quincy Adams: 4 
Abraham Lincoln: 4 
Ulysses S. Grant: 4 
Gerald Ford: 4 
Jimmy Carter: 4 
Ronald Reagan: 4 (and 1 adopted)
Joe Biden: 4 
John F. Kennedy: 4 
Andrew Johnson: 5 
Grover Cleveland: 5 (and possibly 1 additional child out of wedlock)
Donald Trump: 5 
John Adams: 6 
Theodore Roosevelt: 6 
Franklin D. Roosevelt: 6 
George H.W. Bush: 6 
Zachary Taylor: 6 
Martin Van Buren: 6

7 or More Children

One president stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to procreating: John Tyler, who fathered 15 children across two marriages. Another notable figure here is Thomas Jefferson, who had six children with his wife of 10 years, Martha Jefferson, and likely also fathered six more children with the enslaved woman Sally Hemings. Jefferson’s alleged relationship with Hemings has been debated for more than two centuries, but DNA evidence strongly suggests that Jefferson fathered at least one of Hemings’ sons, and it’s possible that he was the biological father of all of her children. 

Thomas Jefferson: 6 (and possibly 6 additional children with Hemings)
James A. Garfield: 7 
Rutherford B. Hayes: 8 
William Henry Harrison: 10 
John Tyler: 15

• What the U.S. Presidents Did Before Taking Office
• Why Are U.S. Presidents Called “Commanders in Chief”? 
• Which U.S. Presidents Were Multilingual?

Theodore Roosevelt: English, German, Latin, French, Italian, Dutch, Greek

Theodore Roosevelt’s boundless energy and curiosity extended to his love of languages. Raised in a wealthy family, the 26th president was taught Latin, German, and French starting at age 13. (Secretary of State John Hay once described Roosevelt’s French as “lawless as to grammar.”) Roosevelt could also read Italian and Greek and was known to sing his children a Dutch lullaby, though he didn’t use the languages regularly otherwise. 

Thomas Jefferson: English, French, Italian, Latin, Greek, Spanish

Thomas Jefferson was an avid learner, and his extensive personal library featured titles in numerous languages. According to his own travel notes from 1788, Jefferson spoke Italian, French, and Latin in addition to English. He also claimed to read and understand Greek and Spanish, the latter of which he said he learned in 19 days while reading a copy of Don Quixote on a 1784 sailing trip to France. John Quincy Adams, after dining with Jefferson in November 1804, recalled this anecdote and quipped that the nation’s third president was a teller of “large stories.”

James Madison: English, Latin, Italian, French, Greek, Hebrew

From around age 10, James Madison studied Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, and Greek at a prestigious Virginia school. Although it’s not likely he maintained fluency in all of his early languages, he was a skilled Latin translator. Later, at the College of New Jersey — now known as Princeton — he started learning Hebrew, and he furthered his studies after graduation.

Franklin D. Roosevelt: English, French, German, Latin

Starting when he was about 9 years old and for five consecutive years, Franklin D. Roosevelt traveled to Europe every summer with his family as they sought treatment for his father’s heart condition. It was there that he learned German, French, and to a lesser extent Latin, taught to him by governesses.

James A. Garfield: English, Latin, Greek, German, Hebrew

Before his political career, James A. Garfield was a respected Greek and Latin teacher at Ohio’s Western Reserve Eclectic Institute (now Hiram College). He continued his love of learning by later picking up German and Hebrew as well.

Rutherford B. Hayes: English, Latin, Greek, French

In 1837, when he was 15 years old, Rutherford B. Hayes took a similar educational path to many of his presidential contemporaries: He enrolled in a preparatory school, relocating from his hometown of Delaware, Ohio, to Middletown, Connecticut. At Isaac Webb’s Preparatory School, Hayes initially struggled to keep up in his classes, but soon succeeded in learning Latin and Greek. He also studied French on Saturday afternoons.

John Adams: English, Latin, French

John Adams laid the groundwork for his language skills early on, studying Latin during his younger years at school in Braintree, Massachusetts. At just 15, he continued his studies at Harvard, where he also learned Greek. Later in life, after admitting some regret over not speaking French, the founding father took matters into his own hands: When he was sent to Paris during the American Revolution, he worked tirelessly to master the language, eventually becoming fluent and using it to help navigate rough diplomatic waters.

Martin Van Buren: English, Dutch, Latin

Martin Van Buren grew up speaking Dutch as his first language. Born in Kinderhook, New York, a predominantly Dutch area, Van Buren learned English in school as a child, and by the time he entered law school, he was fluent in both languages. He also studied Latin during his early schooling, but was not known to use it much later in life.

William Henry Harrison: English, Latin, French

At Virginia’s Hampden-Sydney College, William Henry Harrison took a liking to learning Latin — primarily to satiate his interest in ancient Roman military history. While there, he also learned French, although he did not acquire the same proficiency as in Latin.

James K. Polk: English, Latin, Greek

Compared to some of his early-19th-century contemporaries, James A. Polk started his education relatively late. At age 18, he convinced his parents to enroll him in a Presbyterian school near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Though his formal education was scant up until that point, he quickly rose to the top of his class, learning Greek and Latin along the way. He later attended the University of North Carolina, where he even gave his commencement speech in Latin.

Herbert Hoover: English, Latin, Mandarin

Herbert Hoover is the only U.S. president known to have spoken Mandarin. He wasn’t entirely fluent, but his wife, Lou Henry Hoover, was. The couple lived in China for two years while Herbert Hoover worked as a mining engineer, and it’s been said they sometimes spoke Mandarin in the White House to prevent eavesdropping. (According to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, however, this popular tale isn’t true.) Hoover was also proficient in Latin, and he and Lou once spent five years translating a 16th-century Latin text into English.

James Buchanan: English, Greek, Latin

James Buchanan followed a traditional classical curriculum. He attended the Old Stone Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where he studied Latin and Greek. He later continued his studies at Dickinson College.

John Tyler: English, Latin, Greek

The College of William & Mary is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S. (after Harvard), and it was at this storied Virginia school that John Tyler received his classical language education. He entered the preparatory branch at age 12, excelling at his studies, including Latin and Greek.

James Monroe: English, French, Latin

James Monroe received a thorough Latin education at Virginia’s prestigious Campbelltown Academy, starting when he was about 11 years old. It was eclipsed by his French skills, however: As George Washington’s ambassador to France, he developed a deep knowledge and appreciation for the language during his time overseas, and he and his family often spoke French with their daughters while living in the White House.

Chester A. Arthur: English, Latin, Greek

Chester A. Arthur’s strong academic foundation earned him admission to Schenectady, New York’s Union College as a sophomore at just 15 years old. His father, a Baptist minister, had taught him Latin and Greek, and the 21st president remained able to converse in both languages throughout his life.

Bilingual

Woodrow Wilson: English, German

Woodrow Wilson’s time at Johns Hopkins University immersed him in the German academic tradition, which often meant reading primary sources in the language. Wilson once said he’d “worn out a German dictionary” writing a paper. 

Jimmy Carter: English, Spanish

Jimmy Carter always maintained that he wasn’t fluent in Spanish, but the 39th president may have been selling himself short. After learning the language in the United States Naval Academy, Carter made an effort to continue using it — Southern drawl and all. He spoke it on the campaign trail, in speeches, and even at home with his wife, Rosalynn; each night, the couple took turns reading the Bible to each other in Spanish as practice.

Bill Clinton: English, German

While a freshman at Georgetown University, Bill Clinton chose German as his required language course. “I was interested in the country and impressed by the clarity and precision of the language,” Clinton wrote in his 2004 memoir My Life. He occasionally used it in speeches throughout his presidency.

George W. Bush: English, Spanish

George W. Bush studied Spanish growing up and, during his presidency, occasionally addressed the public in the language. Campaign spokesperson Sonia Colin confirmed in 2000 that while he may not have been completely fluent, he could “read and write conversationally.”

Barack Obama: English, Indonesian

During his early childhood years living with his mother and stepfather in Indonesia, Barack Obama learned to speak Indonesian. Though he later said his fluency faded without practice, he retained enough knowledge to exchange occasional pleasantries over the years. 

• What the U.S. Presidents Did Before Taking Office
• Why Are U.S. Presidents Called “Commanders in Chief”? 
• How Many Children Did Each President Have?

Thomas Jefferson

“I cannot live without books,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to John Adams in 1815. Jefferson was a voracious reader; James Madison once referred to him as a “walking library.” Jefferson was instrumental in rebuilding the Library of Congress after British forces burned it down — along with the Capitol Building — during the War of 1812. He offered his personal library to Congress, agreeing to accept whatever payment was offered. Historians don’t know whether the nation’s third president had one single favorite book, but he was especially fond of Laurence Sterne’s 1768 novel A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy. 

Other writers that were close to Jefferson’s heart include the classical historians Tacitus and Thucydides; the ancient Greek poet Homer; classic Greek tragedians such as Sophocles and Euripides; the Roman poets Virgil and Horace; and the English poets and playwrights William Shakespeare and John Milton. 

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was an avid reader throughout his life, reading widely in subjects ranging from classical literature to world history. “A capacity, and taste, for reading,” he once said, “gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.” The book Lincoln read most frequently was likely the King James Bible, which he could quote from freely. He was also a fan of Shakespeare and the Scottish poet Robert Burns. 

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was another great reader. Once, when asked by an editor of his memoirs if he liked to read himself to sleep at night, Truman answered, “No, young man, I like to read myself awake.” He was a dedicated student of history, and some of his most-read volumes included Plutarch’s Lives, Julius Caesar’s Commentaries, and Edward Gibbons’ The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The 33rd president also enjoyed the works of Robert Burns, English poet Lord Byron, and William Shakespeare (especially Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello).  

Dwight D. Eisenhower

In 1966, Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote a letter in which he clearly highlighted the two most influential books in his life, other than the Bible. These were On War by Carl von Clausewitz (an influential treatise on military strategy published in 1832) and The History of the United States by George Bancroft. Ike was also a big fan of Mark Twain, and particularly liked Twain’s novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. To relax, Eisenhower enjoyed reading Western novels full of cowboys and cattle drives on the American frontier.  

John F. Kennedy

Thanks to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, quite a bit is known about Kennedy’s favorite books. He read a lot as a child, with novels such as Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie ranking among his favorites. As an adult, he read most, if not all, of the books written by Winston Churchill and was also greatly influenced by Pilgrim's Way (also known as Memory Hold-the-Door), an autobiographical memoir by the Scottish writer John Buchan. Beyond nonfiction, Kennedy was a big fan of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, and From Russia With Love was one of his top reads. JFK and Fleming even met at a party in Washington, D.C., for the newly elected president. 

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter wrote 32 books in total, many of which were bestsellers, covering topics such as foreign policy, religious theory, art, historical fiction, and poetry. Unsurprisingly, Carter was also very well read — but one particular book stood out. When he was running for president in 1976, Carter was asked to name his favorite book. His answer was 1941’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, a nonfiction work on the daily lives of Depression-era tenant farmers, with text by author James Agee and black-and-white portraits by photographer Walker Evans. Carter explained how the book spoke to him personally, saying, “That was the way I grew up.” 

Ronald Reagan

In various interviews, Ronald Reagan mentioned a couple of books — other than the Bible — as being his favorites. When he was 11, he read That Printer of Udell's, a 1902 work of fiction by Harold Bell Wright that tells the story of a homeless wanderer called Dick Falkner. Reagan later stated, “I found a role model in that traveling printer whom Wright had brought to life. He set me on a course I’ve tried to follow unto this day. I shall always be grateful.” Later, Reagan became a big fan of the novels of Tom Clancy. While president, his endorsement of The Hunt for Red October, which he called “the perfect yarn,” helped launch Clancy onto the bestseller lists. 

• What the U.S. Presidents Did Before Taking Office
• Why Are U.S. Presidents Called “Commanders in Chief”? 
• How Many Children Did Each President Have?

Two Full Terms

The following presidents served two full terms, each holding office for eight years. Before the 22nd Amendment formally established term limits for the role, most presidents chose to follow the precedent set by George Washington, who stepped down voluntarily after two terms to uphold democratic principles. Between 1796 and 1940, only four two-term presidents attempted to pursue a third term — Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt — but they were unsuccessful in gaining their party’s support.

- Thomas Jefferson: 8 years (2,922 days)
- James Madison: 8 years (2,922 days)
- James Monroe: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Andrew Jackson: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Ulysses S. Grant: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Grover Cleveland: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Woodrow Wilson: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Ronald Reagan: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Bill Clinton: 8 years (2,922 days)
- George W. Bush: 8 years (2,922 days)
- Barack Obama: 8 years (2,922 days)
- George Washington: 8 years (2,865 days)

More Than One Term

Some presidents served more than four years, but did not complete two full terms due to a variety of circumstances. Abraham Lincoln and William McKinley were assassinated during their second terms, while Harry S. Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Lyndon B. Johnson initially assumed the presidency midterm after the deaths of their predecessors, and were later elected to another term. Richard Nixon, on the other hand, resigned during his second term amid the Watergate scandal, making him the only president to voluntarily step down from office.

- Harry S. Truman: 7 years, 9 months (2,840 days)
- Theodore Roosevelt: 7 years, 5 months (2,728 days)
- Calvin Coolidge: 5 years, 7 months (2,041 days)
- Richard Nixon: 5 years, 6 months (2,027 days)
- Lyndon B. Johnson: 5 years, 2 months (1,886 days)
- William McKinley: 4 years, 6 months (1,654 days)
- Abraham Lincoln: 4 years, 1 month (1,503 days)

One Full Term

These presidents completed a single four-year term in office, but did not serve a second term, whether by choice or defeat. Their time in office was often marked by the political challenges of those four years, or they faced strong opposition to their reelection bids. Some presidents, such as John Quincy Adams, who served nine terms in Congress after his presidency, and Jimmy Carter, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his dedication to humanitarian work, are remembered for their post-presidential contributions as much as their time in the Oval Office. For each of these one-term presidents, the brevity of their tenure left a distinct mark, highlighting the unpredictable nature of American politics.

- John Quincy Adams: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Martin Van Buren: 4 years (1,461 days)
- James K. Polk: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Franklin Pierce: 4 years (1,461 days)
- James Buchanan: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Rutherford B. Hayes: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Benjamin Harrison: 4 years (1,461 days)
- William Howard Taft: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Herbert Hoover: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Jimmy Carter: 4 years (1,461 days)
- George H.W. Bush: 4 years (1,461 days)
- Donald Trump: 4 years (1,461 days and counting; began a second, nonconsecutive term in January 2025)
- John Adams: 4 years (1,460 days)
- Joe Biden: 4 years (currently serving; will be 1,461 days at the end of term)

Less Than One Term

These presidents served less than a full term due to a range of circumstances, including assassination, fatal illness, resignation, or unsuccessful efforts to secure their own term after assuming office following the death or resignation of their predecessor. Despite their brief service, they all made notable contributions during their time in office, and those who stepped in for a predecessor helped maintain the stability and continuity of the nation’s leadership during times of sudden transition.

- John Tyler: 3 years, 11 months (1,430 days)
- Andrew Johnson: 3 years, 10 months (1,419 days)
- Chester A. Arthur: 3 years, 5 months (1,262 days)
- John F. Kennedy: 2 years, 10 months (1,036 days)
- Millard Fillmore: 2 years, 7 months (969 days)
- Gerald Ford: 2 years, 5 months (895 days)
- Warren G. Harding: 2 years, 4 months (881 days)
- Zachary Taylor: 1 year, 4 months (492 days)
- James A. Garfield: 6 months, 15 days (199 days)
- William Henry Harrison: 1 month (31 days)

• What the U.S. Presidents Did Before Taking Office
• Why Are U.S. Presidents Called “Commanders in Chief”? 
• How Many Children Did Each President Have?

Eleanor Roosevelt: Rover

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt suspected her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, might have had something to do with choosing her Secret Service code name. She was known as “Rover,” and those who accompanied her were called “Rover’s Rangers.” She was assigned the name during World War II, when she traveled to England to visit American servicemen and observe women’s roles in the war effort. However, there is no record of the Secret Service having an official code name for FDR.

Bess Truman: Sunnyside

First Lady Bess Truman’s code name was “Sunnyside,” thought to be a reflection of her warmhearted personality (rather than her egg preference). Her husband Harry S. Truman, who chose the code name “General” for himself, despite never achieving that rank during his military service, was also assigned the code name “Supervise.” He was possibly given this alternative name because “General” could refer to someone of that rank accompanying the president.

Jacqueline Kennedy: Lace

Traditionally, the code names given to a presidential family all start with the same letter. Once someone is assigned Secret Service protection, they choose their code name from an approved list of names kept by the White House Communications Agency. The Kennedy administration’s comparison to Camelot is highlighted by President John F. Kennedy’s choice of code name, “Lancer,” presumably a nod to Sir Lancelot, while his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, was aptly known as “Lace,” reflecting her elegance. During JFK’s brief presidency, the White House code name was “Crown.”

Rosalynn Carter: Dancer

Jimmy Carter’s code name, “Deacon,” reflected his strong religious faith, while his wife Rosalynn’s code name, “Dancer,” echoed her love for dancing. Before their White House years, the Carters lived in Hawaii during Jimmy’s time in the Navy, where Rosalynn became, according to her grandson Josh Carter, “a champion hula dancer.” Rosalynn’s passion for dance extended beyond hula, though. She wrote in her autobiography that she and Jimmy loved to dance together, and she enjoyed choosing entertainment for White House events, which featured performers such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater over the years.

Nancy Reagan: Rainbow

Before Ronald Reagan entered politics, his acting career included a number of roles in Western films, making his code name “Rawhide” a fitting choice. First Lady Nancy Reagan’s name, “Rainbow,” isn’t as obvious, though one biography suggests it referred to the many colors of her personality.

Hillary Clinton: Evergreen

Although the Secret Service claims that code names aren’t tied to the personalities of those assigned, some designations do reflect aspects of the people they represent. Bill Clinton’s “Eagle” (possibly a reference to his time as an Eagle Scout) and Hillary’s “Evergreen” seem well matched, while their daughter Chelsea’s “Energy” captured the youthful vibe of a teenager in the White House. Hillary continued to use “Evergreen” during her 2008 and 2016 presidential campaigns, making the name particularly fitting for the former first lady.

Laura Bush: Tempo

Laura Bush, wife of former President George W. Bush, was assigned the code name “Tempo” to go along with the president’s code name, “Trailblazer.” The president, however, had a different code name when his father, George H.W. Bush, known as “Timberwolf,” was president: “Tumbler.”

Michelle Obama: Renaissance

When presented with a list of code names beginning with the letter “R” during his presidential campaign, former President Barack Obama chose “Renegade,” and First Lady Michelle Obama selected “Renaissance.” Some believe that Michelle’s name reflected her goal to rejuvenate and redefine the traditional role of first lady.

Melania Trump: Muse

While her husband Donald Trump chose the code name “Mogul” as an homage to his time as a real estate magnate, Melania reportedly selected “Muse” in reference to her own previous career as a model. The word “muse” can be defined as a person that inspires creativity, something Melania frequently did as a fashion model earlier in her life.

Jill Biden: Capri

First Lady Jill Biden’s code name, “Capri,” remains the same as when she was second lady and is likely a nod to her Italian heritage. President Joe Biden also kept his Irish-inspired code name, “Celtic,” from his time as vice president.

• What the U.S. Presidents Did Before Taking Office
• Why Are U.S. Presidents Called “Commanders in Chief”? 
• How Many Children Did Each President Have?