(1829-86), twenty-first president of the United States (1881-85). Born in Fairfield, Vermont, Arthur was educated at Union College in Schenectady, New York, before joining a New York City law firm in 1853. Attracting public attention for his defense of blacks, Arthur won a case in 1855 securing the rights of blacks to ride New York streetcars. He was collector of customs in the port of New York and a key ally of
Roscoe Conkling. At the Republican National Convention in 1880, he worked for the nomination of Ulysses S. Grant for a third term as president. When this movement failed and James Garfield won the nomination, Arthur was chosen to run for vice president. In July 1881 Garfield was fatally wounded by
Charles Guiteau. When he died in September, Arthur became the fourth vice president to succeed to the presidency upon the death of a president. During his administration, known for its honesty and efficiency, he vetoed the
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) and strongly supported the
Pendleton Act (1883), which created a civil service commission to regulate government hiring on a merit system basis. He had the
White House renovated, believing it should be a showplace for visiting dignitaries. Lack of strong support within his party and illness prevented Arthur from seriously seeking the presidential nomination in 1884.
