List of members of the Sons of the American Revolution

The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is a United States patriotic and lineage organization founded in 1889. The following is a list of notable members since the organization's founding.

Heads of State

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Presidents of the United States

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To date, 17 presidents of the United States have been members of the SAR. President Grant was admitted posthumously in recognition of his being a member of the Sons of Revolutionary Sires, whose members were later admitted to membership in the SAR.

Of the presidents who lived since the SAR's founding in 1889 and are not listed above, presidents Grover Cleveland, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden all had patriot ancestors but did not join the SAR.[4] Presidents Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump did not have patriot ancestors.[5]

President Joe Biden, then a United States Senator, was awarded a Gold Good Citizenship Medal by The Delaware Society of the Sons of the American Revolution in 1999.[6]

Of the 22 presidents who served prior to the founding of the SAR, six qualify as patriot ancestors – George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe and Andrew Jackson. Two others, Grant and Hayes, were members of SAR. Of the remaining 14, all except for Martin Van Buren had patriot ancestors.

Vice presidents of the United States

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In addition to the above, the following vice presidents were SAR compatriots and later became President of the United States: Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.

Link to National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution website Presidents page

https://www.sar.org/compatriot-us-presidents/

National leaders outside the United States

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Nobel Prize recipients

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Nobel Peace Prize recipients

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Nobel Prize for Literature recipient

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Military

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Medal of Honor recipients

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The following 40 SAR Compatriots are known to have received the United States Congressional Medal of Honor. It is possible that there are other Medal of Honor recipients who were SAR Compatriots. The number recipients for each conflict is as follows: Civil War – 17, Indian Wars – 6, Spanish–American War – 1, Philippines – 2, Vera Cruz – 1, Peacetime – 3, World War II – 8, Vietnam – 2.

This link is the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Medal of Honor Recipient timeline: https://www.sar.org/sar-compatriot-medal-of-honor-recipients/

(The rank indicated is the highest held by the individual and not necessarily that held at the time the Medal of Honor was earned or awarded.)

Civil War

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Indian Wars

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  • Brigadier General John B. Babcock, USA – Veteran of the Civil War and earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars.
  • Brigadier General Oscar F. Long, USA – Served in the campaign against Chief Joseph.
  • Colonel John C. Gresham, USA - received the Medal of Honor for actions at Wounded Knee.
  • Colonel Charles H. Heyl, USA - received the Medal of Honor for actions against hostile Inidans.
  • Lieutenant Colonel John O. Skinner, USA - Received Medal of Honor for actions against hostile Indians while serving as a civilian contract surgeon.
  • First Lieutenant Powhatan H. Clarke, USA – Commanded African-American Cavalrymen (a.k.a. "Buffalo Soldiers") against Apache Indians.

Philippine Insurrection

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  • Lieutenant Colonel Bernard A. Byrne, USV - Received the Medal of Honor for heroic actions in the Philippines.
  • Major John Alexander Logan Jr., USV - Died during his Medal of Honor action in the Philippines.

Vera Cruz

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Non-combat

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World War II

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Vietnam

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Military and naval officers

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Public officials

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Cabinet officers

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Diplomats

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Governors

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United States senators

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U.S. representatives

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Judges

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Other public officials

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Other notable members

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References

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  1. ^ (President Grant died in 1885 – prior to the founding of the S.A.R. – but he was a member of the "Sons of Revolutionary Sires". Though it had no direct connection with the SAR, its members were later granted admission to the Sons of the American Revolution after its organization if they so desired.)
  2. ^ "U.S. Presidents Who Are SAR Members" (PDF). California SAR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "The California Compatriot" (PDF). California Society SAR. Spring 2007. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  4. ^ Frederick, Don (December 12, 2007). "Barack Obama's family tree grows and grows". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ Child, Christopher C. (21 February 2022). "Patriotic presidential ancestors". New England Historic Genealogical Society, American Ancestors.
  6. ^ "Good Citizenship Awards". The Delaware Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Stony Point Battle Chapter Sons of the American Revolution". Archived from the original on 2018-03-08. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  8. ^ "Spain Society Sons of the American Revolution". Spain Society Sons of the American Revolution.
  9. ^ "History of the Dream". Sons of the American Revolution. Archived from the original on 2013-01-25.
  10. ^ "SAR Handbook, VIII" (PDF). p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-10-04.
  11. ^ "Patriot Medal". SAR Store.
  12. ^ "William Henry Bisbee". Arlington National Cemetery. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  13. ^ Paul, Richard R (Summer 2021). ""General James N. Mattis"". Sons of the American Revolution Magazine. 116 (1): 19.
  14. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Sons of the American Revolution, politicians, Michigan". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  15. ^ Pittman, Elijah; Sears, Bryan P.; Ford, William J. (August 16, 2024). "MACo Matters: Ferguson renews stance against broad-based tax increases". Maryland Matters. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  16. ^ "Texas SAR". www.txssar.org.
  17. ^ "The Founders & Patriots of America". www.founderspatriots.org.
  18. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Sons of the American Revolution, politicians, District of Columbia". politicalgraveyard.com.
  20. ^ "Sons of American Revolution welcome Gates". Harvard University Gazette. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  21. ^ NSSAR Membership Roster 2009
  22. ^ "Representative Adam Schnelting". house.mo.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  23. ^ Homans, James E., ed. (1918). The Cyclopedia of American Biography. The Press Association Compilers. pp. 299–300.
  24. ^ Vest, Stephen M (Spring 2021). "A Big Year for Ricky Skaggs". Sons of the American Revolution Magazine. 115 (4): 8.