Zachary Karabell examined Chester Alan Arthur, who was propelled into the presidency by the assassination of James Garfield and turned his back on the patronage system that had nurtured him. Mr. Karabell argued that in creating a professional civil service he set America on a course toward even greater reforms in the decades to come.
Read moreLibrary Event Trailer: Candice Millard and Zachary Karabell - Hail to the Chiefs
Historian, economist, and journalist Zachary Karabell talks about how Garfield's vice president Chester A. Arthur created professional civil service and ushered in a new era of reform in America.
Read moreLesser-Known U.S. Presidents
Historian Arthur Schlesinger, editor of Times Books' “American Presidents Series,” moderated a panel discussion of the lives of some of America’s lesser-known presidents. The panelists were the authors of some of the biographies in the series. Ted Widmer was the author of Martin Van Buren, Jean Baker was the author of James Buchanan, Josiah Bunting was the author of Ulysses S. Grant, and Zachary Karabell was the author of Chester Alan Arthur. All of the panelists answered questions from members of the audience following their presentations.
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