The Tyler family seems to have longevity and virility on its side. Harrison Ruffin Tyler, 92, is one of two living grandchildren of 10th US President John Tyler.
John Tyler was born in Charles City County, Virginia in 1790, just a year after George Washington became the first President of the United States. He grew up to serve in the House of Representatives and the US Senate. He went on to become the vice president of the United States for one month in 1841 and was sworn in as president in April of that same year after President William Henry Harrison caught pneumonia and died. He was the first US vice president to become president.
Interestingly enough, and you may find this a tiny bit familiar, but after becoming president, his own party, the Whig party, turned on him and even attempted to impeach him.
Tyler was president from April 4, 1841, until March 4, 1845, when James Polk took office. During Tyler’s presidency, his first wife passed away from a stroke, leaving him with eight kids. She died in the White House. Awkward.
Another first, he became the only president to get married while in the White House. At age 52 he married 22-year-old Julia Gardiner and went on to have seven more children with her. John died in 1862 at the age of 71.
One of John and Julia’s youngest children was Lyon Tyler. John was 63 when Lyon was born. As was the burgeoning tradition in the family, Lyon Tyler grew up to also have two wives. He had six children, three with each wife.
His first wife, Anne, died in 1921. Also similarly, he quickly married a much younger woman. He and his second wife, Sue, married in 1921 and became the parents of Harrison Tyler in 1928 when Lyon was 75. Lyon died in 1935 at the age of 81.
Harrison Tyler is now 92 years old and has one living brother who he has said isn’t doing well. We wish them and the entire Tyler family the best.
