The oldest person nominated for US president was Peter Cooper, who formed the Greenback Party and was its first candidate in 1875. At the time, Cooper was 85 years old. Although his bid was unsuccessful, the Greenback Party did receive enough support to elect 15 representatives to Congress. Instrumental in the installation of the first transatlantic cable, Cooper served as the president for the North American Telegraph Company and the New York, Newfoundland and London Telegraph Company. He died in New York on 4 April 1883, at the age of 92.
More facts about US presidential nominees:
- The youngest presidential nominee on record is William Jennings Bryan, who was first nominated by populists in the Democratic in 1896. Bryan, who was 36 at the time, lost to William McKinley. Bryan would run two more times, in 1900 and 1908, but he was never elected.
- Ralph Nader has sought the nomination for president on several occasions but has never been elected. Nader has run five times, with the first occurring in 1992 as a write-in candidate in the New Hampshire Primary. He later ran under the Green Party in the 1996 and 2000 elections and as an independent in 2004 and 2008.
- Comedian Pat Paulsen first ran for president in the 1968 race, using the opportunity to poke fun at serious candidates while occasionally engaging in some serious commentary on social issues. Never elected, Paulsen continued to run in elections from 1972 through 1996, one year before he passed away.
By Malcolm Tatum
, Writer
Malcolm Tatum, a former teleconferencing industry professional, followed his passion for trivia, research, and writing to become a full-time freelance writer. He has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also been featured in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and newspapers. When not writing, Malcolm enjoys collecting vinyl records, following minor league baseball, and cycling.