Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was the 40th president of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989 after a career as a Hollywood actor, labor leader, and governor of California. His presidency ushered in a conservative political era marked by tax cuts, deregulation, increased defense spending, and a forceful approach to the Cold War, followed by improved relations and arms-control negotiations with the Soviet Union.

Hubert H. Humphrey (1911-1978) rose from Minnesota politics to the Senate, where he became a leading advocate for civil rights and liberal Democratic legislation. He served as Lyndon Johnson's vice president during the Great Society and the Vietnam War before becoming the Democratic presidential nominee in 1968. Humphrey subsequently returned to the Senate and remained active in public life until his death in 1978.

Richard Nixon (1913-1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974, and was one of the most controversial presidents of the twentieth century. He achieved major foreign-policy breakthroughs by opening relations with Communist China, pursuing Détente with the Soviet Union, and the withdrawal from Vietnam. His presidency was ultimately brought down by the Watergate scandal, making him the only U.S. president to resign from office.

Gerald Ford (1913-2006) was the 38th president of the United States, assuming office in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned. A longtime congressman and former vice president, Ford sought to restore trust in the federal government while confronting inflation, unemployment, the Watergate scandal, and the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Ford is remembered for providing stability and helping the nation recover.

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. His presidency was defined by Cold War confrontations, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the expansion of the space program, and increasing federal support for civil rights. Though his presidency lasted less than three years, Kennedy's assassination and his vision of American public service made him one of the most enduringly remembered presidents in American history.

Spiro T. Agnew (1918-1996) rose from Maryland county government to become governor and then Richard Nixon's vice president. His nationally prominent speeches became a feature of Nixon's political strategy, but a separate federal corruption investigation led to his resignation in October 1973. Gerald Ford succeeded him under the newly established procedure of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.