The 20 Most Intelligent Presidents Of The United States

We all know it takes some serious brains to lead an entire nation, but have you ever wondered just how smart our presidents were? University of California at Davis professor Dean Simonton did, and his curiosity led to a <a href="http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jcampbel/documents/SimontonPresIQ2006.pdf" target="_blank">2006 study that examined the "intellectual brilliance"</a> of all the presidents of the United States of America. Engineer Libb Thims compiled the results of the study for fun, and what was revealed might surprise you. It seems like every day, we learn something new about our nation's past and present leaders It's particularly interesting to learn just how smart our presidents were. Even though they don't always make the best decisions, being president is no easy task, and it takes true intelligence to be able to keep this country running at its best. I don't think anyone I know would be up to the task! Check out the IQs of the 20 smartest presidents the USA has ever known. There's no way to prove if all of them are exactly accurate due to the fact that many of them died before IQ tests even existed, but Simonton's study provides the best glimpse we could ever hope to get into the brainpower of our nation's leaders. Do you think you could match any of them in a battle of wits? ——————————————————- The grandson of William Henry Harrison was once a well-known local attorney with an IQ of 132.2.

You don't become the first president of a country without having some brains, and even though he never went to college, Washington certainly was a bright man, with an IQ of 132.5.

He had an IQ of 133.4, but the eighth president of the U.S. didn't always make the brightest choices. As a result, he's often blamed for the depression of 1837.

Hayes might have been an intelligent man, with an IQ of 133.9, but he is often considered by historians to have been one of the nation's more lackluster presidents.

He was only in the White House for 32 days before dying of pneumonia, but William Henry Harrison was a smart man. He had an estimated IQ of 133.9, and although he ended up dropping out of Hampden-Sydney College, he still managed to become the ninth president of the United States.

President Pierce had an estimated IQ of 141. He graduated from Bowdoin College and practiced as a lawyer before becoming President of the United States.

The 10th president of the United States had an IQ of 142. He studied law at the College of William and Mary and was admitted to the bar at the young age of 19. He became the first president to reach office without being voted in: a result of the death of his predecessor and running mate, William Henry Harrison.

Formerly a vice president, Fillmore was forced to fill Zachary Taylor's position when he passed away during his presidential term. He had an estimated IQ of 143 and was elected to the House of Representatives after becoming a lawyer.

The president who famously served an unprecedented four terms had a supposed IQ of 146. He attended college at Harvard and went on to study at Columbia Law School, and after becoming president, he created the New Deal program to help the economy recover during the time of the Great Depression.

Honest Abe had an estimated IQ of 148, which is no surprise when you consider that he taught himself to read and write. He's best known for freeing the slaves in the Confederacy through the Emancipation Proclamation and holding the Union together during the Civil War.

The 21st president of the USA had an IQ of 148. He practiced law after graduating from Union College, then took over the presidency when James A. Garfield was assassinated.

Garfield is thought to have had the same IQ of 148 as Chester A. Arthur: his running mate who took over the presidency after Garfield's death. The 20th president of the United States was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau less than a year into his presidency.

Teddy was a Harvard graduate with an IQ of 149. He began to study law at Columbia, but soon dropped out in order to run for public office. Formerly the Vice President for William McKinley, Roosevelt took over his position after the president's assassination, making him the youngest president in history at age 42.

The leader of the Progressive Movement is said to have had an IQ of 152. Before becoming the governor of New Jersey, he was the president of Princeton University. During his term, he signed quite a bit of noteworthy legislation, including the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Federal Reserve Act, and the Federal Farm Loan Act.

The man who won a 2002 Nobel Peace Prize thanks to his work on human rights has an IQ of 153. He's a Naval Academy graduate, and he's accomplished even more after leaving office than he did while living in the White House. Carter has made significant advancements for human rights and disease eradication in developing nations. He was diagnosed with melanoma in August at age 90 and is currently undergoing treatment for it.

The Father of the Constitution is said to have had an IQ of 155. He studied law after graduating from Princeton University, and he later went on not only to become president, but also co-author the Bill of Rights.

With an IQ of 156, Bill Clinton graduated from Georgetown and then received a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University, later earning a law degree from Yale. He's been involved with numerous charity and humanitarian efforts since leaving office.

It's estimated that the 35th president of the US had an IQ of 158. He graduated from Harvard before joining the Navy and serving in WWII. He was known for pushing civil rights legislation and programs that helped enhance the U.S. economy before his assassination at age 46.

The nation's third president is thought to have had an IQ of 160 and was considered by many to be a "walking encyclopedia" because of his extensive knowledge on various subjects. He graduated from the College of William and Mary before studying law.

The second president of the USA is thought to have had an IQ of 173. He studied law at Harvard and assisted in writing the Declaration of Independence. He was also the first president to live in the White House during his term.

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