Yellow text over maroon background. 

John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972 at age 77. Late in life and after his death Hoover became a controversial figure, as evidence of his secretive actions became known. His critics have accused him of exceeding the jurisdiction of the FBI. He used the FBI to harass political dissenters and activists, to amass secret files on political leaders, and to collect evidence using illegal methods. Hoover consequently held a great deal of power and was in a position to intimidate and threaten sitting Presidents.

Black and white portrait of a man encircled by black border with yellowed text over yellowed background. 

This button is to commemorate the 25th president, William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901); the image is the official presidential portrait. President McKinley was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz during his second term.

McKinley served from March 4, 1897 until his death on September 14, 1901, six months into the second term. His presidency was noted for victory in the Spanish-American War, economic prosperity, and maintaining the gold standard by rejecting inflationary proposals. McKinley was the last president to serve in the Civil War as a Union solider. After the war he settled in Canton, Ohio where he practiced law. McKinely was elected into congress in 1870 and became an expert in protective tariff for the Republican Party. His presidency was marked by economic growth due to policies that protected manufacturers and factory workers, a practice that ensured domestic production and employment.

In foreign policy, McKinley attempted to persuade Spain into granting independence to Cuba. However when Spain refused, a series of events occurred which caused a public outcry against Spain. The main incident was the destruction of US Navy Ship USS Maine when it was stationed in Havana, Cuba, and Spanish soldiers were held responsible for the act. The US declared war against Spain in response, and “remember the Maine” was a popular slogan during the war. The Spanish-American War was possibly a ploy to annex territories held by Spain. After the War, the United States was given Guam, Philippines, and Puerto Rico. Cuba was granted independence but under the control of US Army.

McKinley was greatly respected and viewed positively during his presidency. He was remembered for economic growth and territorial gains. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th president after McKinely’s passing.  

Black text over white background. 

Americans love throwing around the idea of impeaching their president and have been trying to impeach them since John Tyler (1790-1862).  A generation or so later, they finally got their first one with Andrew Johnson (1808-1875).  This pin suggest the impeachment of another Johnson, Lyndon B. (1908-1973).  Johnson assumed the presidency after the assassination of John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).  

So the story goes, on the eve of Kennedy's assassination, Johnson was giving testimony about some questionable involvement.  First was with Texas business Billie Sol Estes, a Kennedy and Johnson supporter.  The second was with Bobby Baker, Johnson's former aide, who had allegedly been bribing Washington insiders with cash and arranging sexual favors.  Conspiracy theorists have proposed that Johnson's refusal to running for reelection in 1968 was because of his involvement in the Estes and Baker scandals.  Still other theorists have proposed the scandals were why Johnson had Kennedy assassinated.

Black and white photo of President Nixon on a blue background with white text. 

Richard Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. ran as the Republican presidential ticket for the 1960 presidential election against John F. Kennedy. This was Nixon’s first run to become President after serving as Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower. The 1960 election was the first year the presidential debates were televised. For the first time, a candidate’s appearance was critically judged along with their policy. Those listening to the debates on the radio thought Nixon won because he was a great orator; however, those watching the television thought Kennedy won as Nixon looked sickly and pale compared to Kennedy’s youthful, photogenic appearance. Nixon and Lodge lost the election by a narrow margin.

Blue text between horizontal stripes of red and blue over white background. 

This button dates from the 1960 US Presidential campaign of Richard M. Nixon (1913-1994) and Henry Cabot Lodge (1902-1985).  At the time of the campaign, Nixon was the US Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) and Lodge was the US Ambassador to the UN.  Nixon and Lodge, Republicans, were opposed by the Democrats John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) and Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973).  

Nixon and Lodge won the majority of the states, but Kennedy and Johnson received 303 of the 537 Electoral College votes.  Nixon and Lodge received only 219, which made Nixon the first presidential candidate to win a majority of states but still lose the election.  Nixon returned to his role as vice president after the defeat and returned to California to practice law after his term ended.  

A white button with red and blue text

This button is for Dwight Eisenhower (Ike) and Richard M. Nixon (Dick). Eisenhower and Nixon ran on the Republican ticket and won in both 1952 and 1956. The eight year administration is considered some of the best of the 20th century. Eisenhower served in World War I and served as the Supreme Allied Commander in World War II. The popular slogan for the Eisenhower campaign was "I Like Ike." Due to Eisenhower's moderate stances, Nixon was an essential choice in order to rally all part of the Republican base together. Under Eisenhower, the interstate highway system was created, the quality of life for middle-class white Americans improved, and Alaska and Hawaii were added to the Union. Nixon devoted nearly his entire eight years to foreign policy affairs. His most famous event being an impromptu debate with Soviet Premiere Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow known as "The Kitchen Debate." 

Black and white portrait of Hubert Humphrey encircled by red text over white background. 

Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. was the Democratic party's nominee for US President in 1968. Humphrey was born in South Dakota but is often associated with Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, taught political science at Macalester College in Saint Paul, helped found Minnesota's Democratic party, and served as mayor of Minneapolis. He was also elected as one of Minnesota's US Senators before he became the Lyndon Johnson's Vice President in 1965. The 1968 presidential bid was Humphrey's third—the two previous attempts in 1952 and 1960 had failed to gather support. It's presumed by many that his 1968 bid was prompted by the fact that the incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson did not seek reelection.

Humphrey and his running mate Edmund S. Muskie faced Richard M. Nixon and Spiro T. Agnew, the Republican candidates. The Nixon-Agnew ticket emerged victorious, winning 301 electoral votes—quite enough to defeat the Humphrey-Muskie ticket, who received 191.

Gold text over blue banner encircled by blue border over yellowed background. 

Jessie Annette Jack Hooper (1864-1935), a Wisconsin democratic nominee, ran for Senator in 1922. She was born on a farm in Iowa, was a notable suffragist and peace advocate. She joined the women's suffrage campaign in the 1910s and was elected as the first president of the Wisconsin League of Women Voters in 1920. She believed that it was a woman's civic duty to serve in office and therefore campaigned vigorously for the Senate seat against the incumbent Senator Robert La Follette in 1922. Although she lost in that election, Hooper was recognized in public as a great speaker and was asked to help Presidential candidate John W. Davis in the 1924 election. 

Black and white portrait of Abe Lincoln outlined by blue rope bookended by stars, shield, and wheat symbols. Black text above and below portrait over yellowed background. 

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States. He served from March, 1861until his assassination in April, 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy. Abraham Lincoln was known as “Honest Abe” as a young man – before he became a lawyer or a politician—and the name stuck. In 1859 when he ran for president the nickname became his campaign slogan, and his writings show that he valued honesty.

A Tan button with American style accents featuring the faces of Grover Cleveland and Thomas Hendricks in red.

This button is in support of Grover Cleveland and Thomas Hendricks for the 1884 United States Presidential Election. Cleveland served a long Democratic career in government through the United States Progressive era. Cleveland served as the mayor of Buffalo, New York, the governor of New York, and as the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. Although largely forgotten in modern times he created the Interstate Commerce Commission, backed the gold standard, and was a staunch non-interventionist in a time of imperial  conquest. In his second term he presided over the Panic of 1893, the famous Pullman Strike, and the rise of American labor unions. Although the Cleveland years are forgotten in popular history they are critical times in American policy-making.

Hendricks served as a roughly 30 year Congress until his election as vice-president on the Cleveland ticket. He is the first democrat to win the Northern state's governorship after the Civil War having many moderate stances. He was chosen as a means of creating a more balanced ticket with Cleveland but due to poor health had to vacate the vice-presidency in 1885 leaving the office vacant until 1889.