Generations and presidential campaigns

[Dan '82]

When members of different generations have run for the presidency

Liberty Generation
 
First serious candidate: George Washington, 1788
First candidate to win nomination: n/a
First candidate to be elected: George Washington, 1788
Last president:  John Adams, 1797-1901
Last serious candidate:  John Adams, 1800
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 59

Republican Generation

 
First serious candidate: Thomas Jefferson, 1796
First candidate to win nomination: Thomas Jefferson, 1796
First candidate to be elected: Thomas Jefferson, 1800
Last president:  James Monroe, 1817-1825
Last serious candidate: James Monroe, 1820
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 54
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 54

Compromise Generation
 
First serious candidate: several, 1824
First candidate to win nomination: several, 1824*
First candidate to be elected: John Quincy Adams, 1824
Last president:  James Buchanan, 1857-1861
Last serious candidate: James Buchanan, 1856
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 57
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 65


*Technically there were no political parties in 1824 just factions of the Democratic-Republican party that contested the General election and later organized into parties.

Transcendental Generation
 
First serious candidate: James K. Polk, 1844
First candidate to win nomination: James K. Polk, 1844
First candidate to be elected: James K. Polk, 1844
Last president:  Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869
Last serious candidate: Samuel J. Tilden, 1876
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 52
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 55



Gilded Generation
 
First serious candidate: George B. McClellan,1864
First candidate to win nomination: George B. McClellan,1864
First candidate to be elected: Ulysses S. Grant, 1868
Last president:  Grover Cleveland, 1893-1897
Last serious candidate: Richard P. Bland, 1896
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 42
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 54



Progressive Generation
 
First serious candidate: William McKinley,1896
First candidate to win nomination: William McKinley,1896
First candidate to be elected: William McKinley, 1896
Last president:  Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921
Last serious candidate: Robert La Follette, 1924, or Leonard Wood and Frank Orren Lowden, 1920
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 53
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 61 or 65

 

Missionary Generation
 
First serious candidate: William Jennings Bryan,1896
First candidate to win nomination: William Jennings Bryan,1896
First candidate to be elected: Warren G. Harding, 1920
Last president:  FDR, 1933-1945
Last serious candidate: FDR, 1944
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 36
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 62


 
Lost Generation
 
First serious candidate: Alf Landon, 1936
First candidate to win nomination: Alf Landon, 1936
First candidate to be elected: Harry Truman, assumed office 1945, won his own term 1948
Last president:  Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953-1960
Last serious candidate: Ike, 1956
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 53
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 55



GI Generation
 
First serious candidate: Thomas Dewey 1940
First candidate to win nomination: Thomas Dewey 1944
First candidate to be elected: JFK 1960
Last president: George HW Bush 1989-1993
Last serious candidate: Bob Dole 1996
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 39
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 72


 
Silent Generation
 
First serious candidate: RFK 1968
First candidate to win nomination: Walter Mondale 1984
First candidate to be elected: n/a
Last president: n/a
Last serious candidate: Bernie Sanders 2016?
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 43
Age of youngest cohort at time of last serious candidate: 74


 
Baby Boomers
 
First serious candidate: Al Gore 1988
First candidate to win nomination: Bill Clinton 1992
First candidate to be elected: Bill Clinton 1992
Last president: ??
Last serious candidate: ??
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 45

Generation X
 
First serious candidate:  Barack Obama 2008
First candidate to win nomination: Barack Obama 2008
First candidate to be elected: Barack Obama 2008
Last president: ??
Last serious candidate: ??
Age of oldest cohort at time of first serious candidate: 47