Scandals of Yesteryear

John Quincy Adams was the 6th President of the US,he was the son of John Adams the 2nd President and called himself JQA to avoid any confusion. Adams followed a rigorous physical regimen throughout his life. Every morning he woke at 5 AM (4:15 in the summer) to begin his routine. He swam naked in the Potomac river,he was a good swimmer and could swim for 50 minutes and kept increasing the time until he could swim for 80 minutes,but decided not to try for longer. Anne Royall,the first US professional journalist,knew of his morning swims and after being refused interviews time after time,took his clothes and sat on them until she had her interview. She was the first female to interview a president. It seems to me that his swimming naked in those times (1825-1820) would have rivaled any of our more current presidential scandals,but apparently the years have diminished the impact of his little quirk. JQA and Theodore Roosevelt both refused to be sworn in with their hands on the Bible when they took the oath of office. Adams was 5 foot 7 inches tall and had a high shrill voice,he also suffered from depression (you would think the endorphins from the exercise would have helped). He was the first president with a middle name. He was also the first president to have his photo taken.