Levi P. Morton (1824-1920) was a Vermont-born businessman who became a wealthy New York banker before entering Republican politics. He served in Congress, represented the United States in France, and became Benjamin Harrison's vice president before later serving as governor of New York. Morton retired from elected office after his governorship and died in 1920 at the age of ninety-five.

Chester A. Arthur (1829-1886) was the 21st president of the United States, rising to the presidency after the assassination of James A. Garfield in 1881. Once closely associated with New York's Republican political machine and the patronage system, Arthur surprised many by supporting civil service reform which marked the beginning of the transition toward a more professional federal civil service, giving him a more significant legacy than his relatively brief administration might suggest.

James A. Garfield (1831-1881) was the 20th president of the United States, rising from humble beginnings in Ohio to become a teacher, scholar, Union general, congressman, and national Republican leader. His presidency in 1881 was dominated by a struggle against political patronage and the Republican Party's Stalwart faction, but his administration lasted only a few months before he was shot by disgruntled office seeker.

Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) was the twenty-third president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893 during a period of rapid industrialization and national expansion. His presidency was marked by high protective tariffs, expanded veterans’ benefits, the Sherman Antitrust Act, conservation efforts, and an increasingly assertive American foreign policy. Harrison left a legacy of a stronger federal government, economic regulation, conservation, and the protection of civil rights.

Adlai E. Stevenson I (1835-1914) was an Illinois lawyer and Democrat who served in Congress and as assistant postmaster general before becoming Grover Cleveland's vice president in 1893. He presided over the Senate during the economic crisis and monetary controversies of Cleveland's second administration. Stevenson later ran unsuccessfully for vice president again in 1900, while his grandson subsequently became a prominent Democratic presidential nominee.

Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) served the 22nd and 24th President, rising from a self-taught lawyer and local reformer. Known for fiscal conservatism and opposition to political corruption, Cleveland sought to limit government spending and preserve the gold standard while using presidential veto power extensively. His response to the economic crisis and Pullman Strike damaged his popularity, but he defended executive independence and commitment to governmental restraint.