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History Unplugged Podcast

Why Few Presidents Had Beards, And Only One Had a Mullet

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.23.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 August 2024

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

From George Washington’s powdered pigtail to John Quincy Adams’ bushy side-whiskers and from James Polk’s masterful mullet to John F. Kennedy’s refined Ivy League coif, the tresses of American leaders have long conveyed important political and symbolic messages.

There are surprising, and multi-dimensional ways that hair has influenced the personalities, public and private lives, personal scandals, and tragedies of the men and women who have occupied the White House and influenced the nation at large.

To explore this unconventional aspect of American history is today’s guest, Ted Pappas, author of “Combing Through the White House: Hair and Its Shocking Impact on the Politics, Private Lives, and Legacies of the Presidents.”

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's going to hear with another episode of the History and Plug Podcast.

0:07.0

There's an argument to be made that you can cycle analyze a president by their

0:11.2

hairstyle. George Washington consciously rejected, powdered wigs,

0:14.8

the British style at the time, threw off aristocratic trappings,

0:17.9

along with other colonial elites,

0:19.5

particularly Benjamin Franklin,

0:21.0

who wore a kunskin cap all at the French court.

0:23.0

They were him Lincoln was the first president to have a beard,

0:25.8

affitting the stylings of somebody who grew up on the frontier.

0:28.2

John F. Kennedy had an Ivy League coiff,

0:30.4

of surveying his Irish family's recently ascended status in WAS politics.

0:35.0

But recently, Hare has taken a much more important role in understanding presidential history.

0:39.0

DNA tests on Presidents have come from analyzing samples of Hare, and was able to show who did or

0:44.7

didn't father illegitimate children. Facial hair signal to transition into

0:48.2

Barresov era with Civil War veteran presidents like Ulysses S Grant having a beard but then these were disfavored over time in the 20th century and no

0:56.6

president has had a beard for the last hundred years or so and although many

1:00.3

presidents have sported mustaches and munchops, only one has sported a mollot.

1:05.0

In today's episode, I'm speaking to Ted Papas, author of combing through the White House,

1:09.7

her in a shocking impact on the politics, private lives, and legacies of the presidents. This is an uncommon... a lives, personal scandals, and tragedies of the men and women who've occupied the White House

1:23.9

and influenced the nation at large.

1:25.3

Hope you enjoy this discussion with Ted Pappas.

1:27.4

And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for word from our sponsors.

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