Adlai Stevenson I
A shrewd and genial Democratic politician from Illinois whose vice presidency cemented his family's multigenerational legacy in American public service.
1835–1914 (age 79)·Vice President of the United States from 1893 to 1897·Birthday: October 23
Biography
Adlai Stevenson I represented a certain breed of 19th-century American politician: folksy, politically agile, and fiercely loyal to the Democratic Party's conservative, pro-silver wing. Hailing from Kentucky and building his career in Illinois, he served in Congress and as First Assistant Postmaster General—a job where he famously removed thousands of Republican postmasters, earning him both enemies and the nickname 'The Headsman.' This partisan loyalty is what placed him on the ticket with Grover Cleveland in 1892, as a balancing act to appeal to the West and South. His single term as Vice President was relatively quiet, defined more by his affable presiding over the Senate than by major policy. Stevenson's true impact was as a patriarch. He established a political dynasty that would include his grandson, Adlai Stevenson II, the presidential candidate, and great-grandson who served as a Senator, ensuring the Stevenson name remained in the national conversation for over a century.
#1 When Adlai Was Born
The biggest hits of 1835
Adlai's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1835Born
1840Started school
1848Became a teenager
1851Could drive
1853Could vote
1856Turned 21
1865Turned 30
President: Andrew Johnson
1875Turned 40
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1885Turned 50
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1895Turned 60
First public film screening by the Lumiere brothers
President: Grover Cleveland
1905Turned 70
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Died at 79
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
Key Achievements
- Served as the 23rd Vice President of the United States under President Grover Cleveland from 1893 to 1897.
- Founded the Stevenson political family, which produced multiple generations of prominent American politicians.
- Served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1875 to 1877 and again from 1879 to 1881.
- Was appointed First Assistant Postmaster General, wielding significant patronage power within the Postal Service.
Did You Know?
As First Assistant Postmaster General, he replaced over 40,000 Republican postmasters with Democrats, a massive patronage operation.
He was the grandfather of Adlai Stevenson II, the Democratic nominee for president in 1952 and 1956.
He was known for his wit and storytelling, which made him a popular campaigner and speaker.
He was the first vice president to have a television documentary made about his life, albeit posthumously.
“A public office is a public trust, and the man who forgets it is not fit for it.”
