Whatever his other accomplishments as a lawyer and statesman, David Rice Atchison will always be known as the guy who was President of the United States for just one day.
He served as a US senator from 1843 to 1855. As president pro tem of the Senate in 1849, Atchison was shoved into the highest office in the land in a constitutional cusp between James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor, because Polk's term ended on a Sunday at noon, and Taylor's inauguration wasn't until the next day.
The President Atchison Monument, a statue honoring Plattsburg's favorite son, stands near town hall. It's a typical politician bronze (though splattered with mustardy stains during our visit). We will never know what Atchison might have accomplished with a little more time as Commander in Chief. His influence on the Republic is debatable, since he spent the entire day sleeping off a drunk.
