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Louis Picone

William Paterson University, History, Adjunct

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Louis L. Picone is the award-winning author of "Grant's Tomb: The Epic Death of Ulysses S. Grant and the Making of an American Pantheon", "The President Is Dead! The Extraordinary Stories of the Presidential Deaths, Final Days, Burials, and Beyond" and "Where the Presidents Were Born: The History & Preservation of the Presidential Birthplaces."

Louis is a member of the Authors Guild and American Historical Association and is also a trustee on the board of the Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association in Caldwell, NJ. He holds a Masters in History and also teaches at William Paterson University

Louis has spoken widely on the topic of the presidents and the places we commemorate them, including Morristown National Historical Park, James A. Garfield National Historic Site, and the international conference "U.S. Presidents and Russian Rulers" at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. After the passing of President George H.W. Bush, Louis was interviewed by the BBC, NPR, Washington Post, and New York Times to discuss the former president's legacy and the history of presidential funerals. he has also appeared on the television program "American Mystery" on the Travel Channel to discuss the mystery of JFK's missing brain

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Papers by Louis Picone

Ulysses Grant in Venice To Drain or not to Drain

Grant Monument Association newsletter , 2024

In his autobiography Henry Adams, claimed Ulysses Grant said, “Venice would be a fine city if it ... more

Grover Cleveland & A Brief History of Presidential Libraries

Mourner in Chief Grover Cleveland and the death of Ulysses S. Grant

When Ulysses S. Grant died on July 23, 1885 he was the most beloved man in America, and arguably ... more

Louis Picone George Washington, A Day in his life at Dey Mansion

During the Revolutionary War, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army George Washington estab... more During the Revolutionary War, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army George Washington established headquarters at hundreds of locations. For three months in 1780, perhaps the darkest days of the war, he headquartered at the home of Theunis Dey in the Preakness Valley of New Jersey (today Wayne). This paper explores Washington's time at the home

Grover Cleveland and the First Electric Christmas Lights in the White House

Grover Cleveland is the president of many firsts. He was the first Democrat elected since the Civ... more Grover Cleveland is the president of many firsts. He was the first Democrat elected since the Civil War; first to be elected to non-consecutive terms, first president to be married in the White House and the first to have a child while president, and now he could add one more: This was the first time electric lights were ever hung on a Christmas tree in the White House.

Louis L. Picone "What Independence Day Meant to Grover Cleveland"

The research for this paper was undertaken as part of the July 4, 2020 Grover Cleveland Birthplac... more

The Warrior, the Walrus and the Dandy - An Unshaven History of Presidential Facial Hair

Today we take it for granted that the President of the United States of America is clean shaven. ... more Today we take it for granted that the President of the United States of America is clean shaven. For over a century our president has lacked facial hair, but there was a time when it was not only an accepted physical feature, but one to be admired. From those who decided to forgo the razor, we can learn much about the presidents as well as the period which they served. This paper will celebrate these men and divide them into three Presidential facial hair camps: The Dandy, the Warrior, and the Walrus.

Grover Cleveland Birthday Remarks - Louis Picone 2019-03-18

Remarks delivered at the Grover Cleveland birthplace in Caldwell, NJ on March 18, 2019. A brief s... more

John Hanson: Man, Myth, and Memory

John Hanson is a man who may have been completely lost to history, if not for one indisputable fa... more John Hanson is a man who may have been completely lost to history, if not for one indisputable fact: on November 5, 1781, he was elected President of the United States of America. Another fact is that George Washington was not elected until seven years later in 1788 and did not take office until the following year. As John Adams said, “facts are stubborn things.”

This paper will examine the life, impact, and memory of John Hanson by attempting to answer three questions: Who was John Hanson?; What did Hanson’s presidency mean to Americans at the time?; and how has he been included, or not, in the American memory?

The Evolution of Presidential Birthplace Commemoration: From Washington to Obama

Of the forty-three men that have served as President of the United States of America, all but thr... more Of the forty-three men that have served as President of the United States of America, all but three have some form of commemoration at the site of their birth. This was not always the case. In fact, in the early years of the republic, presidents’ birthplaces were summarily disregarded. This article will tell of the singular event that started presidential birthplace commemoration and the subsequent evolution that brought us from zero to forty uniquely celebrated birth sites. In addition, through the use of statistical analysis, I will make the argument that 1924 was both the year when presidential birthplace recognition began its ascension as well as its decline.

The evolving legacy of George Washington

Conventional wisdom may hold that, despite the passage of time, our Revolutionary Era historical ... more Conventional wisdom may hold that, despite the passage of time, our Revolutionary Era historical figures should remain static, consistent, and etched in stone in our history books. However, as historical methodologies and national perspectives have changed and new sources have been uncovered and explored, historians have revisited these figures.

Drafts by Louis Picone

Film Review: Steven Spielberg's Lincoln by Louis L. Picone

A historian's film review of Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film "Lincoln" just in time for the 156th an... more

Ulysses Grant in Venice To Drain or not to Drain

Grant Monument Association newsletter , 2024

In his autobiography Henry Adams, claimed Ulysses Grant said, “Venice would be a fine city if it ... more

Grover Cleveland & A Brief History of Presidential Libraries

Mourner in Chief Grover Cleveland and the death of Ulysses S. Grant

When Ulysses S. Grant died on July 23, 1885 he was the most beloved man in America, and arguably ... more

Louis Picone George Washington, A Day in his life at Dey Mansion

During the Revolutionary War, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army George Washington estab... more During the Revolutionary War, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army George Washington established headquarters at hundreds of locations. For three months in 1780, perhaps the darkest days of the war, he headquartered at the home of Theunis Dey in the Preakness Valley of New Jersey (today Wayne). This paper explores Washington's time at the home

Grover Cleveland and the First Electric Christmas Lights in the White House

Grover Cleveland is the president of many firsts. He was the first Democrat elected since the Civ... more Grover Cleveland is the president of many firsts. He was the first Democrat elected since the Civil War; first to be elected to non-consecutive terms, first president to be married in the White House and the first to have a child while president, and now he could add one more: This was the first time electric lights were ever hung on a Christmas tree in the White House.

Louis L. Picone "What Independence Day Meant to Grover Cleveland"

The research for this paper was undertaken as part of the July 4, 2020 Grover Cleveland Birthplac... more

The Warrior, the Walrus and the Dandy - An Unshaven History of Presidential Facial Hair

Today we take it for granted that the President of the United States of America is clean shaven. ... more Today we take it for granted that the President of the United States of America is clean shaven. For over a century our president has lacked facial hair, but there was a time when it was not only an accepted physical feature, but one to be admired. From those who decided to forgo the razor, we can learn much about the presidents as well as the period which they served. This paper will celebrate these men and divide them into three Presidential facial hair camps: The Dandy, the Warrior, and the Walrus.

Grover Cleveland Birthday Remarks - Louis Picone 2019-03-18

Remarks delivered at the Grover Cleveland birthplace in Caldwell, NJ on March 18, 2019. A brief s... more

John Hanson: Man, Myth, and Memory

John Hanson is a man who may have been completely lost to history, if not for one indisputable fa... more John Hanson is a man who may have been completely lost to history, if not for one indisputable fact: on November 5, 1781, he was elected President of the United States of America. Another fact is that George Washington was not elected until seven years later in 1788 and did not take office until the following year. As John Adams said, “facts are stubborn things.”

This paper will examine the life, impact, and memory of John Hanson by attempting to answer three questions: Who was John Hanson?; What did Hanson’s presidency mean to Americans at the time?; and how has he been included, or not, in the American memory?

The Evolution of Presidential Birthplace Commemoration: From Washington to Obama

Of the forty-three men that have served as President of the United States of America, all but thr... more Of the forty-three men that have served as President of the United States of America, all but three have some form of commemoration at the site of their birth. This was not always the case. In fact, in the early years of the republic, presidents’ birthplaces were summarily disregarded. This article will tell of the singular event that started presidential birthplace commemoration and the subsequent evolution that brought us from zero to forty uniquely celebrated birth sites. In addition, through the use of statistical analysis, I will make the argument that 1924 was both the year when presidential birthplace recognition began its ascension as well as its decline.

The evolving legacy of George Washington

Conventional wisdom may hold that, despite the passage of time, our Revolutionary Era historical ... more Conventional wisdom may hold that, despite the passage of time, our Revolutionary Era historical figures should remain static, consistent, and etched in stone in our history books. However, as historical methodologies and national perspectives have changed and new sources have been uncovered and explored, historians have revisited these figures.

Film Review: Steven Spielberg's Lincoln by Louis L. Picone

A historian's film review of Steven Spielberg’s 2012 film "Lincoln" just in time for the 156th an... more