Every third Monday in February here in the United States, we briefly pause as a country for President’s Day. Begun in 1885 to celebrate the birth of the nation’s first president, George Washington, the day has since evolved to examine the lives and legacies of our Commanders-In-Chief. Not many ordinary people have the unique opportunity and privilege of meeting the President of the United States; however, Thomas Edison was certainly not ordinary. Thomas Edison got to work alongside, experiment for, and even went camping with a few of our nation’s past executives. On this President’s Day, we pause to examine Thomas Edison's presidential encounters and how he interacted with our nation’s highest elected officials.
The first president that Thomas Edison met was the 19th President of the United States and Fremont, Ohio, resident Rutherford B. Hayes. On April 18th, 1878, Thomas Edison made an extremely late-night visit to the White House. Some sources mark Thomas’s arrival as being extremely close to midnight. Thomas brought along one of his first phonographs. He demonstrated to President Hayes how he could record his voice using nothing more than tinfoil, a needle, some power to crank the apparatus, and hope. President Hayes was so amused by Edison’s phonograph that he went upstairs and woke his wife, Lucy, and others to witness Edison’s invention at work. The First Family and their guests were mesmerized by Edison’s phonograph, and some sources claim that Thomas Edison left the White House around 3:30 AM that morning.
A couple of presidential terms later, Edison was called upon by the 23rd President of the United States and North Bend, Ohio, native Benjamin Harrison to wire the White House with electricity. At the time of change in 1891, widespread electrical use was only about a decade old, but the White House desperately needed modernization. Edison answered the call and installed electricity by burying the wires in the plaster and adhering switches to the wall in each room to control the lights. It is rumored and reported that President Harrison and his wife, First Lady Caroline Harrison, were so fearful of electric shock from Edison's installed light switches that they refused to operate them. Operation of the light switches was left to White House staff, and thankfully, no one was ever electrocuted.
Edison inserted electricity into the walls of the White House and indirectly into the contentious election of 1912. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President, was a third-party candidate running against his successor, Cincinnati native William Howard Taft. Edison was a fan of Roosevelt, stating in October of 1912, “I’ve read Roosevelt’s books and speeches, too. Yes, Sir. I became convinced and am convinced now that he’s a solid fellow who can meet any situation.” Theodore Roosevelt recorded his campaign speeches for the Edison Company in August of 1912, while Taft only recorded his speeches for Victor. Their squabbling opened the door for Woodrow Wilson to swoop in to win the presidential race 1912, and Wilson selected Edison as the head of the Naval Consulting Board during World War I. While on the Naval Consulting Board, Edison formulated different technologies that could be used in naval warfare, and he also created a special type of phonograph known as the Army/Navy Phonograph for service members overseas. One of those rare Edison Army/Navy Phonographs is at the Don Gfell Educational Center in Milan, Ohio. Additionally, you can read about the incredible history of that particular phonograph in this article.
After the Wilson Administration, Edison soon grew close to another president from the Buckeye State, Warren G. Harding. President Harding joined “The Vagabonds” on one of the illustrious camping trips. When asked about President Harding, Edison says, “President Harding’s a good old fellow.” Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone were poised to start their 1923 camping trip in Milan, Ohio, but arrived in the village late after attending the funeral service of President Harding in Marion. The Vagabonds tried to meet Harding’s VP and successor, Calvin Coolidge, upon Harding’s death. “Silent Cal,” as he was known, hosted the men at his home in Vermont and gifted Henry Ford a sap bucket that had been in his family for generations. When asked about Coolidge’s odds of being elected, Edison joked, “He’ll be elected, I think, if he doesn’t get the oration habit.”
The final president that Thomas Edison met was Herbert Hoover. While President Hoover is widely known by many as one of the worst presidents in American history and a significant factor in the burgeoning of the Great Depression, Edison widely admired Hoover. He sang Hoover’s praises in 1920, eight years before he would be elected, stating, “I am for Hoover for President. Engineers are good propositions for the Presidency. I recall an engineer in American history who made good. That was George Washington.” Hoover often spent time with Edison, Ford, and Firestone and was present when Ford celebrated the 50th anniversary of Edison coming up with the modern incandescent bulb in 1929. Hoover would also make trips down to Fort Myers to see Mr. Edison. As alluded to, Thomas always held high regard for Hoover, even stating, “If the people of the United States fail to elect Herbert Hoover as the next president, they can be classed as a bunch of saps.”
While many presidents are seen as American icons, many American presidents saw Thomas Edison as the foremost American icon. When asked about Edison, Herbert Hoover said, “By inventing the electric lamp, Mr. Edison did vastly more than provide a new lamp. He removed an untold burden for toil from the backs of men and women for all time.” Upon Edison’s death in 1931, future President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “He was not merely a great inventor. He was a great citizen who was constantly thinking about the good of our country.” From Hayes to Hoover, Edison profoundly impacted the American people and the person elected to govern them.
Sources Used and Encouraged for Further Reading
Bates, Kim. 2002. “Exhibit delves into Edison's late-night visit with Hayes.” The Blade (Toledo), March 14, 2002. https://www.toledoblade.com/Print-Furniture/2002/03/14/Exhibit-delves-into-Edison-s-late-night-visit-with-Hayes/stories/200203140020
Edison, Thomas A. 2011. The Quotable Edison. Edited by Michele W. Albion. University Press of Florida.
Johnston, Robert D. “Rutherford B. Hayes: Family Life.” University of Virginia Miller Center. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://millercenter.org/president/hayes/family-life
Lower, Rocío. 2014. “15 Fun Facts About Presidents Day And Our National Parks.” National Park Foundation. https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/15-fun-facts-about-presidents-day-and-our-national-parks
Monkman, Betty C. “The White House Gets Electric Lighting, 1891.” White House Historical Association. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-white-house-gets-electric-lighting
Roosevelt, Theodore. “Sound Recordings of Theodore Roosevelt's Voice | Articles and Essays | Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Times on Film | Digital Collections.” Library of Congress. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.loc.gov/collections/theodore-roosevelt-films/articles-and-essays/sound-recordings-of-theodore-roosevelts-voice/
Dillon Liskai, a native of Clyde, Ohio, is currently a junior at Bowling Green State University. He is pursuing a degree in Adolescent to Young Adult (AYA) Integrated Social Studies Education with a specialization in History.
For the past three years, Dillon has worked as a tour guide at the Thomas A. Edison Birthplace Museum. When not at school or the museum, he enjoys cheering on the Bowling Green Falcons, spending time with friends and family, and exploring local history.
Have a question for Dillon? Reach out via email at dliskai@tomedison.org!
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