21st United States President, 20th United States Vice President. His father was a Baptist preacher, he moved with his family throughout Vermont and New York due to his father's work. He attended the academy in Union Village, New York and later studied at Lyceum in Schenectady, where he was editor of the school's newspaper. He enrolled at Union College where he studied to become a teacher. However, he gravitated towards practicing law and attained his degree and was admitted to the bar in 1854. In 1859, he married Ellen 'Nell' Lewis Herndon and during their union their three children were born. One son died at the age of three. During the Civil War, he rose to the rank of quartermaster general. Arthur was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to serve as the Collector of the Port of New York (1871 to 1878) and during his time at that capacity, he earned the reputation as honorable and honest. However, an investigation into charges of corruption within the New York customhouse occurred which resulted in a thorough housecleaning and reduction in workforce. After much debate, Republican Presidential Candidate James A. Garfield agreed to have Arthur placed on the ticket. Garfield won the Presidential Election of 1880, thus making Arthur vice president. Arthur had suffered a personal loss earlier that year when his wife 'Nell' died from pneumonia at the age of 42. This devastated Arthur to the point of which he never fully recovered. His tenure as Vice President was brief. President Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881 and lingered until his death on September 19. Arthur became president and finished out the remainder of Garfield's term. Perhaps Arthur's most notable accomplishment during his presidency was to enact tougher legislation regarding incoming immigrants into the United States. Additionally, he appointed two associate justices (Horace Gray and Samuel Blatchford) to the Supreme Court. Arthur failed to secure the presidential nomination for his party in 1884. After leaving office, he resumed practicing law.