William Howard Taft, 27th President

 

In the country of America we have been losing a battle for over 100 years. In 1913 the mustache left the White House. After having a substantial run, beginning with Abraham Lincoln, the beard has been vacant from our country’s leadership for 17 presidents.

 There have been a number of great mustache and beard styles in our leadership (see list below). But, we can dwindle the disappearance to one event; the beard crushing Spirit of 1914. World War I, brought about a time of new warfare. No longer did two countries line up like Red Rover. War was fought in trenches. Trenches that were filled with toilets and mortar rounds and filth that was counter to having a well groomed beard. Sanitation dictated a beardless face. The style was dictated from the top, down.

Woodrow Wilson, 28th President

Woodrow Wilson set the clean shaven standard. If we were going to clean up the world we need to have a sterile look. Well, I say if you want to clean up the world look like the most badass guy in the game (see Rutherford B. Hayes – hella stern looking leader). World War I set a precedent and we then, as a country, fell into a tailspin.

 Since 1914 we have always had some potentially catastrophic event: Great Depression, Race Riots, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, War on Drugs, War on Poverty, Civil Rights, War on Terror, War for Equality, Great Recession, et cetera. As Wilson decided that the leader of the free world should reflect the direction that the country needed to go, beards started looking more and more like common man facial styling.

 Looking towards the upcoming election in 2016, a beard taking back the presidency seems unlikely. If Hillary Clinton runs then it marks a win for the War on Equality but is a massive strike against the War on Beards.

 If we decide as a country, or group of educated folks, to win the War on Beards then we must unite. We must groom to perfection and stand tall while our beards grow long.

 It’s time for a Beard Friendly White House.

United States of America Presidents with Beards: 

Abraham Lincoln – 16th
Ulysses S. Grant – 18th
Rutherfor Hayes – 19th
James Garfield – 20th
Chester Arthur – 21th
Grover Cleveland – 22nd
Benjamin Harrison – 23rd
Grover Cleveland – 24th
Theodore Roosevelt – 26th
William Howard Taft – 27th

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