Chester+A.+Arthur

[|**Chester A. Arthur**]

succeeded President Garfield after he died from a fatal gunshot. He served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. Chester was the son of an Irish preacher by the name of William Arthur. His mother was Malvina Stone. He was born in Fairfield, Vermont in 1829. He eventually moved with his family to New York where he lived during most of his childhood. Chester went to the Union College in New York. He eventually became the official of principal at a school called North Pownal Academy. He studied law and became a professional lawyer, which could have been used much to his advantage during the election. He married Ellen Lewis Herndon. They had a son William Lewis Herndon Arthur. Before Arthur was appointed president, his wife died of pneumonia.
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Chester_Alan_Arthur.jpg/474px-Chester_Alan_Arthur.jpg width="191" height="234" caption="Image:Chester Alan Arthur.jpg" link="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Chester_Alan_Arthur.jpg"]] ||
 * Image:Chester Alan Arthur.jpg ||

Arthur was chosen for political reasons, but when in office, refused to allow Stalwarts take over the government offices and “supported civil service reform.” He signed an act called the Pendleton Act, which stated that government jobs could only be filled by certain tests and “competitive examinations.” This act was signed in 1833.