Although Thomas Jefferson was famous for his bright red hair, most presidents have been brunets, who rapidly begin to gray at the temples as the stresses of the job take their toll. That seems poised to change. Despite their policy differences, even a cursory look at this year’s presumptive candidates shows that they have at least one thing in common: their hair color. From a wide field of stolid dark-haired, slightly graying, and fully white-haired candidates, American voters went for the gold (locks).
So barring a truly unforeseen event, the 45th president of the United States of America will be blond (or blonde). Leaving aside the identity of the candidates, this was statistically unlikely. To put it in perspective, less than 5 percent of the population is genetically fair-haired. It’s harder to put a specific percentage on it, since most of those who enhance their hair color are loath to admit it.
How long has it been since America had a blond president? The Scrapbook conducted its own investigation on the subject. It’s a question made more difficult by the range of colors considered “blond,” by black and white photography, and by the number of presidents who had gone gray or bald by the time they were elected.
Still, the general consensus is that America has had five blonds in chief. Martin Van Buren was noted for his reddish-blond hair, though it had turned white and largely receded by the time he was elected our eighth president. It would be another 36 years before another blond took the oath of office: Rutherford B. Hayes in 1877. Following him would come Benjamin Harrison, of golden hair and beard, elected a mere 12 years later. (This really was America’s gilded age.)
After that, things returned to their brown- and white-haired norm until after the Second World War, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected. Very little of Eisenhower’s hair remained at the time of his election, and prior to that he is generally depicted with a short military haircut. However, when he still had hair, it was blond.
The most recent blond president was Gerald Ford, whose football pictures from the University of Michigan verify his status. Which means that it has been 39 years since America’s head of state has been a golden one.
