Chester A. Arthur"Elegant Arthur"

Chester Alan Arthur was born October 5, 1829. Before politics, he worked as a lawyer, including a notable early civil rights case helping desegregate New York City streetcars. He rose through the New York Republican political machine, eventually becoming Collector of the Port of New York, a lucrative patronage post, before being selected as James Garfield's running mate in 1880 largely to balance the ticket with the party's establishment wing. He became President in September 1881 after Garfield's assassination, and surprised many by turning against the very patronage system that had elevated him, championing the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which established merit-based hiring for federal jobs. He did not seek re-election in 1884, partly due to declining health, and died in 1886, not long after leaving office.