1...2...3...Hospital.

Beginning in 1799 and most recently in 2018, the United States has bid farewell to 40 presidents. Of these 40 presidents, the majority have passed away at home, which should come as no surprise. So, this begs the question, which I know you are asking yourself at this very moment-how many presidents have died at the hospital? Surprisingly, only three presidents bid farewell from a hospital bed, and two of them happened to be from the same administration. Beginning in May 1968, Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th president, began his stay at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland (its official title is Walter Reed National Military Medical Hospital). For the next 10.5 months, Eisenhower remained in a suite in the East Wing’s 7th ward. Over this time period, Eisenhower suffered several cardiac episodes. Doctors were determined to improve his cardiac health in hope that Eisenhower could leave the hospital, but his heart was unable to recover despite their best efforts. His medical team went as far as to suggest a heart transplant but the idea was abandoned when it was determined the surgery was too risky. By March 1969, Eisenhower’s health was in a highly precarious state. Four weeks into the month, on Friday, March 28th, Eisenhower bid his family farewell.

Nearly four years later, on Tuesday, December 5, 1972, Harry Truman was admitted to Kansas City Research Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri due to complications from pneumonia. His admittance turned into a three week stay, as his body slowly shut down due to a series of complications brought on largely by old age and roughly ten days into his stay, he lost his speech. It was a sad and rough ending for the former president. Then, two days before Christmas, he slipped into a coma and passed away on Tuesday, December 26. His wife, Bess, and his daughter, Margaret, having spent part of Christmas Day at his bedside, were at the Truman home when they received news of his passing.

Last, but not least, on Monday, April 18, 1994, Richard Nixon was at his New Jersey home working on a new book when he suffered a stroke. He was rushed to New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center (New York City for the geographically challenged) and placed in intensive care. The next day, there was a slight sign of improvement and he was moved out of intensive care, but it was short lived, and he was moved back into intensive care, where he remained. On Thursday, he slipped into a coma and on Friday, April 22, he passed away, marking the third and last time a president passed away in a hospital.

Walter Reed Army Hospital, 1918-1928. LoC.