Grover Cleveland was the only U.S. President to serve non-consecutive terms. Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd U.S. President, serving in between the two terms served by Pres. Cleveland. Although Pres. Cleveland is traditionally numbered as
Grover Cleveland was the only U.S. President to serve non-consecutive terms. Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd U.S. President, serving in between the two terms served by Pres. Cleveland. Although Pres. Cleveland is traditionally numbered as both the 22nd and 24th U.S. President, some writers prefer to count him only once. Thus, there are two different numbering systems, and different numbers are applied to each president after him, depending on how does the counting.
From: Peter Roberts, "Grover Cleveland" page in "God and Country" section of "Science Resources on the Net" website (http://www.geocities.com/peterroberts.geo/Relig-Politics/GCleveland.html; viewed 29 November 2005):
Religious Affiliation: Presbyterian
Summary of Religious Views:
Cleveland was the son of a Presbyterian minister, but he seems not to have been especially religious himself. He was quite tolerant of other religions, with the exception of Mormonism [the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], but even there his real objection seems to have been to polygamy rather than the religion itself.
Views on Religion & Politics:
Some authorities assert that Cleveland's Calvinist upbringing strongly shaped his political views, but other authorities see no such connection.
Cleveland's entries in his diary following the death, on 6 January 1904, of his daughter Ruth:
"I had a season of great trouble in keeping out of my mind the idea that Ruth was in the cold, cheerless grave instead of in the arms of her Saviour." -- 10 January 1904
"It seems to me I mourn our darling Ruth's death more and more. So much of the time I can only think of her as dead, not joyfully living in heaven." -- 11 January 1904
"God has come to my help and I am able to adjust my thought to dear Ruth's death with as much comfort as selfish humanity will permit." -- 15 January 1904
"I have quite often, lately, found myself longing for the rest of idleness, and and the peace of inactivity; and I have sometimes even given entrance to the thought that these were my due. But you have written words to me that will help me to constantly appreciate the fact that God who has blessed me above all other men, and directed all my ways, deserves my service, and every good cause deserves my best endeavour, as long as my life and strength shall last.
"I know as no one else can know my limitations, and how fixed and inexorable they are... but I shall trust God, as I have in the past, for strength and opportunity for further usefulness." -- letter to Rev. Wilton Merle Smith, D.D., 21 March 1906