Indiana Vice Presidents

The State of Indiana

"The Mother of Vice Presidents"

With the appointment of Hoosier Mike Pence as the current vice president gives the state of Indiana its 8th presidential nominee in 200 years of statehood.

Five of the 8 Hoosiers who won the vice presidency were very close to ascending to the most important job in the federal government-but none did become president.

Only New York State

has had more vice presidents than Indiana, with 11 vice presidents calling New York home.

Who were Indiana's Vice Presidents?

*Dates used below the vice president’s name are the dates he served in office.

Mike Pence

(2017-present)

Born June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana Graduated from Hanover College and received his law degree from Indiana University. Previous Indiana Governor.

Thomas Marshall

(1913-1921)

Born March 14, 1885 in North Manchester, Indiana. Graduated from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana and eventually became a lawyer. Previous Indiana Governor.

Thomas Hendricks

(1885)

Born September 7, 1819 in Ohio-moved to Madison, Indiana as a child. Graduated from Hanover College and eventually became a lawyer. Previous Indiana Governor.

Dan Quayle

(1989-1993)

Born February 4, 1947, in Indianapolis Graduated with his law degree in 1974 from Indiana University School of Law.

Charles Fairbanks

(1905-1909)

Born May 11, 1852 in Ohio He moved to Indianapolis as a lawyer in 1874. Was a previous U.S. Senator from Indiana.

Schuyler Colfax

(1869-1873)

Born March 23, 1823 in New York City He moved to St. Joseph County in 1836. Was a previous Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Interesting Facts about Indiana's Vice Presidents

Thomas Hendricks

Vice President Hendricks remains the only vice president to have his portrait on U.S. paper money.

Mike Pence

Vice President Pence's favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz.

Thomas Marshall

Never spent a night apart from his wife during their 30 years of marriage.

Dan Quayle

While visiting a school in New Jersey, Vice President Quayle misspelled the word "potato" adding an 'e' on the end (potatoe). He was (and continues to be) made fun of because of this mistake.

Charles Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska, is named after him. [Where?]

Schuyler Colfax

Abraham Lincoln use to call him "Smiler" Colfax.

Unusual Facts about U.S. Vice Presidents

Fourteen vice presidents have become president-eight because the president died in office, and one because the sitting president resigned.

Until the 25th Amendment was passed in 1967, there was no official line of succession to replace a president who had died or was unable to do the duties of president.

John Adams was the first vice president, serving under President George Washington (1789-1797). He was nicknamed “His Rotundity” because of his weight and arrogant attitude.

During a gun duel in 1801, President Jefferson’s vice president, Aaron Burr, shot and killed Alexander Hamilton, who founded the New York Evening Post.

The vice president and his family live on the grounds of the Naval Observatory [Where?].

The U.S. has had 47 vice presidents and 44 presidents because, during Richard Nixon’s presidency, there were 3 different vice presidents.

Vice Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Hannibal Hamlin, and Charles Dawes were born on the same month and day, August 27th.

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