Dad died at 2 years old; in high school worked on Erie canal, came back and went to school while working as janitor (Western Reserve Eclectic Institute): janitor to assistant professor to president in less than 5 years

Became Ohio senator in 1859 after incumbent’s death, then colonel of Ohio 42nd regiment

Took Congress seat in 1863 at Lincoln’s request to fight legislative battles

Ardent abolitionist, John Brown admirer

Conkling pressured two Garfield cabinet nominees to quit

Buds with Ainsworth Spofford, librarian of Congress, who kept Garfield updated on current lit

As congressman had affair with young reporter but confessed it to Lucretia and their relationship blossom from coldness to love

Arthur, Conkling’s toady, openly critical of Garfield

Conkling resigned in a stunt to protest Garfield’s nominee for the NY customs house, but wasn’t reinstated by NY legislature as planned

Guiteau visited Garfield’s church and would have shot him but didn’t want to do it with Lucretia present

Shot in the arm and then back, but not fatally; doctors’ fingers and other infections did him in

One doctor was Charles Purvis, first black man to examine president

Ulysses Grant, though still bitter from 1880 election, visited Lucretia in New Jersey to offer encouragement

Youngest sons headed back to Ohio for summer but the passengers shielded them from fast-moving news of assassination

Dr. Bliss commandeered control over Garfield’s care and blocked out other doctors; intrusive prodding accelerated demise

Alexander Graham Bell invented induction balance but simple malfunction and lack of full-body check yielded failure from examination