Scandal has touched the lives of many of our presidents. We all know about the affair of Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Hemings, who mothered several of his children.
George Washington, who married Martha Custis , believed to be the wealthiest widow in Virginia, was in love with Sally Fairfax, the wife of his best friend. It is also believed a meeting was held with Mary Philipse during his four days spent in New York.
Oh, candidate Grover Cleveland was given the full "dirty press" campaign treatment when he openly admitted to fathering an illegitimate child. As a bachelor he had an affair with Maria Halpin who named her son Oscar Cleveland. In spite of the scandal, he won the election.
Woodrow Wilson was known for his popularity with the ladies. The White House was humming with rumors about his loose morals. He had a long-time affair with Mary Hulbert Peck, but his second wife, Edith, forced him to give her up.
James Garfield had an affair with Mrs. Calhoun, an 18-year-old reporter with the New York Times.
Franklin D. Roosevelt had at least two or three mistresses while in office. There was his wife Eleanor's secretary, Lucy Page Mercer, his secretary, Marguerite (Missy) LeHand and Crown Princess Marta of Norway who lived at the White House during World War II.
It was a known fact that Dwight Eisenhower had a love affair with Kay Summersby, his driver during World War II, wanted to resign from the army, divorce Mamie and marry his driver, but he was convinced by Gen. George Marshall it would ruin him.
Lyndon Johnson bragged he had more women than John Kennedy. Madeline Brown stated that her son was fathered by Johnson during their long-time affair. He also had a 30-year affair with Alice Glass.
John Kennedy, they say, was the most promiscuous of all the presidents. He had affairs with Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Blaze Starr (a stripper), Judith Campbell, known to be mobster Sam Giancana's mistress, and White House secretaries Priscilla Weir and Jill Cowan, referred to as Fiddle and Faddle.
It's shocking, but there are not too many absolutely perfect people out there.
SHIRLEY SWAFFORD
Carson City
