Biography:

Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States.  He was born on August 20, 1833 in North Bend, Ohio and later practiced law.  He served in the Civil War and became a colonel.  In 1876, he unsuccessfully ran for governor of Indiana, but, four years later, was elected to serve in the US Senate.  In 1884 he lost the Republican presidential nomination to James Blaine and then in 1886 lost reelection to the Senate.  Two years later, however, he ran for president and launched a well organized and successful “front-porch” campaign in which he did not travel, but gave numerous speeches to visiting supporters.  He narrowly defeated the democratic incumbent Grover Cleveland, becoming the 23rd President of the United States.  At 5 feet 6 inches tall, Harrison became one the shortest US presidents, and democrats nicknamed him “Little Ben.”  As president, Harrison hosted the first Pan American Congress in 1889 and helped establish what would later become the Pan American Union.  He put forth legislation in Congress for the annexation of Hawaii which ultimately failed, signed the Sherman Anti-Trust law, and bolstered the American navy.  He ran for second term, but lost to Cleveland.  He died on March 13, 1901 in Indianapolis.