While shifts were taking place in America away from spirituality, Grover Cleveland, the only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms in office, was a case in point of working hard to advance prayer in the nation.
The son of a Presbyterian minister, he was obliged as a boy to attend two services each Sunday and also the Wednesday night prayer meeting. Because of this he developed a strong devotional and prayer life. The Cleveland household was very devout. Grover’s sister became a missionary to Ceylon and his brother, William, became an ordained Presbyterian pastor. His brother married Grover and his fiancée in the White House, the only presidential wedding ever held in the Executive Mansion.
Cleveland had earlier dated a thirty-five year old widow who gave birth to a son shortly after her husband died. Cleveland was accused of being the father. The woman was later placed in a mental institution and he was spared the problems he would have had if they had married. But this relationship brought about a scandal just as he was running for President. Cleveland confided in his memoirs that only prayer got him through the ordeal.
As President, Cleveland was supposed to offer a statement during the Thanksgiving Season. He wrote:
On this day let all secular business be suspended, and let people assemble in their usual places of worship and with prayer and songs of praise devoutly testify their gratitude to the Giver of every Good and Perfect Gift.
His presidential proclamation was replete with references to the need for setting aside one day of the year to give thanks to God and to find ways for families to reunite. It was a directive that came as close as any to capturing the essence of the holiday.
