Presidential Pastimes

Before television, specifically television news, U.S. Presidents could afford the privacy to participate in unusual and sometimes dangerous sport.

• Teddy Roosevelt: Shooting anything with Spanish blood.
• Abraham Lincoln: Bare-knuckle Brawler
• George Washington: Washington would strip to his undergarments, rub his body with liniment and mineral oil and recreate the poses of classic Greek and Roman art under the hot Virginia sun. The practice became popular among Virginia land owners who later held contests to see who could strike a pose closest to that of President Washington. This still goes on today and is known as body building.
• William Henry Harrison: Human chess