--- title: "Did you know these four US presidents never had a VP?" description: "Prior to 1967, if a president died in office, they either agreed on a replacement, or left the VP position vacant. " date: "2022-08-14" modified: "2023-08-10" authors: - name: "Bethaney Phillips" job_title: "Contributor, Veteran Spouse" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/bethaneyphillips/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/did-you-know-these-four-us-presidents-never-had-a-vp/" categories: - "History" --- # Did you know these four US presidents never had a VP? ![president arthur]() *Chester Alan Arthur was an American attorney and politician who served as the 21st President of the United States. (National Archives)* A Vice President is an important part of the political process. They have official roles in and outside of the White House, and without them, things would seem to not go as smoothly. Of course, without them, someone would also take their place. That’s the goal of the 25th Amendment, which outlines the line of succession if the president, VP, etc. should become incapable of serving. However, the 25th Amendment wasn’t ratified until 1967, meaning prior to that, if someone in office died, they either agreed on a replacement, or left the position vacant. Overall, there were 18 presidents who had no VP, at least for a small amount of their time in office. Notable examples include [James Madison](), the fourth president of the U.S. He served two terms and lost both of his VPs. George Clinton died of a heart attack in 1812, a day shy of the one-year mark. Elbridge Gerry died in 1814, after serving in the role for just over 18 months. Gerry suffered a hemorrhage in the lungs, falling ill and dying not long after. After Gerry’s death, Madison opted not to have a VP and served more than two years without a VP. Theodore Roosevelt didn’t have a VP for his entire first term, when he was finishing William McKinley’s tenure; Charles W. Fairbanks joined Roosevelt for his next two terms. There are many stories like this where someone died, usually unexpectedly, and then someone fills in. Considering the expected lifespan of the time, none of it comes as a surprise. However, only two served their entire term without a VP by their side. ## Here are four US presidents who never had a vice president ### John Tyler ![president john tyler]() *President John Tyler* John Tyler is the first. After the shortest-serving president in history, [William Henry Harrison]() died, Tyler stepped into office. Harrison served only 31 days because of pneumonia, jaundice and septicemia. Tyler’s party, the Whigs, did not want him to run for another term; he attempted to gain Democratic support, but they also denied his efforts. He was known as “the president without a party,” as neither side wanted to claim him. ### Millard Fillmore ![president millard fillmore]() **President Millard Fillmore** Millard Fillmore was the next. He became president in 1850 after the death of Zachary Taylor. He had served just 16 months of his term, leading Fillmore to serve his entire presidency without a VP. He ran for reelection, but only won the votes of one state. ### Andrew Johnson ![andrew johnson]() **President Andrew Johnson** Andrew Johnson came to office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He was impeached by Congress in 1868 for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” specifically for liberally using his veto rights to remove the sitting Secretary of War. Though Johnson himself was not removed from office, it likely lost him the upcoming presidential bid. ### Chester Arthur ![chester arthur]() **President Chester Arthur** The final president without a VP was also put into office after an assassination. James Garfield was shot by a disgruntled campaign worker who was denied a political job. Garfield passed away 11 weeks after the shooting, putting his successor, Chester Arthur in the hot seat. Garfield’s killer expected -- but did not receive -- a pardon, as he believed he essentially gave Arthur a promotion. Arthur’s tenure is most criticized for putting friends in high positions, rather than qualified professionals. He did not seek out a second term. *Feature image: White House* photo ## Author Bethaney Phillips has contributed to We Are the Mighty and MilSpouseFest since 2015, covering history and military family topics. She also served as the Interim Content and Digital Manager at MilSpouseFest in 2021. Now a veteran spouse, she spent six years in an active duty family and served as an SFRG leader. With a bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing, she has more than 15 years of experience in digital and print writing, focusing on researched pieces and human interest stories. She is also a regular contributor to Business Insider, covering family and parenting topics. Her work has been included on Business Insider, Yahoo, Military.com, and Manhattan Magazine. While continuing to freelance, she works as the founding editor of the Clay County Regional, a print and digital newspaper delivered to more than 5,500 recipients. She also serves as the Digital Director/News Director for Taylor Communications out of north-central Kansas. Bethaney spends her free time chasing her two elementary-aged boys, raising chickens, and reading fiction. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [WWW]()