Presidential Notebook

Some facts and figures on U.S. presidents:

AGE

At 46, President Clinton is the third-youngest President in the nation’s history. Among past presidents:

The oldest President to be inaugurated was Ronald Reagan, who was 73 in 1985. He was also the oldest to serve, leaving office at age 77.

The youngest President to serve was Theodore Roosevelt, who was 42 when he succeeded William McKinley. John F. Kennedy was the youngest President, at 43, to be elected.

The average age of a man elected President is 53.

HOME STATES

Clinton can now lay claim to being Arkansas’ first native son to ascend to the presidency. Among previous presidents:

Virginia has produced more chief executives than any other state, with eight of 42 having been born there. Close behind is Ohio with seven. New York and Massachusetts account for eight of the remainder.

California, by far the nation’s most-populous state, has produced only one President, Richard M. Nixon. The nation’s largest city, New York City, has produced only one President, Theodore Roosevelt.

FAMILIES

Clinton and his wife, Hillary, have one child, a 12-year-old daughter, Chelsea, putting them far below the average for presidential families.

The average number of children of the past presidents is 3.75.

John Tyler had the most children--15 by two wives, although he had seven of them after leaving the White House. William Henry Harrison had 10 children before his election.

Six of the presidents had no children: George Washington, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, James Polk, Warren G. Harding and James Buchanan, “the bachelor President.”

RELIGION

Clinton, a Baptist, attends church regularly. Hillary, however, worships at a Methodist church. Among previous presidents:

Episcopalians, including President Bush, far outnumber any other denomination among past presidents, with 12 of the total.

Clinton joins Warren G. Harding, Harry S. Truman and Jimmy Carter as Baptists.

Richard M. Nixon and Herbert Hoover were Quakers.

Three presidents--Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, had no specific religious association.

PROFESSION

Clinton, as a lawyer, falls into the most common profession among past presidents.

More than half of the presidents--25--were admitted to the bar as attorneys.

The remainder were military men or public officials, with the sole exception of Herbert Hoover, who was an engineer.

Nine presidents did not attend college, including some, such as Abraham Lincoln and Grover Cleveland, who eventually were admitted to the bar, having fulfilled the legal requirements. The last President who did not attend college was Harry S. Truman.

Clinton joins 15 presidents who were state governors.