Presidential Wills in Our Nation’s History; a Fourth of July Tribute

On the Fourth of July we look to our nation’s history and appreciate the people and events of the past that have brought us to where we are today. In that spirit of reflection, we offer on our blog this holiday weekend some of our nation’s history as relates to estate planning: the last wills and testaments of some of our more famous presidents. It is interesting to see not only a glimpse into the minds of some of our beloved historical figures, but also how this most important of legal documents has changed throughout the years.

Below are links to the wills of:

• George Washington
• Thomas Jefferson
• John F. Kennedy
• Richard Nixon

Not all of our admired thinkers had the time (or in some cases the forethought) to write a will. Among the presidents who died without either a valid will or no will at all are Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, and James A. Garfield.

Our firm wishes you a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend!