M Rutherford Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes (1822–1893), the 19th President (1877–1881), took office after the disputed 1876 election which was resolved by the Compromise of 1877. He ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South, attempting to restore national unity. Hayes advocated for civil service reform and equal treatment regardless of race, though the end of Reconstruction led to the erosion of rights for Southern Black Americans.

Interesting anecdote: First Lady Lucy Hayes was a teetotaler, and together the Hayeses banned alcohol at White House events. Her stance earned her the nickname “Lemonade Lucy.” During Hayes’s presidency, only lemonade and other non-alcoholic beverages were served at official functions – a notable shift in White House social life.