Do You Owe Something To An Eliza McCardle?

Posted on February 20th, 2012

Another Gray Matter - originally published in the Wall Street Journal from February of 1979 until November 1985.  They were the idea of Harry J. Gray, former Chairman and CEO of United Technologies (reprinted with permission).   For a more detailed explanation see Gray Matter. This particular Gray Matter was published in May of 1981.

She met a
tailor
when he was twenty.
He had never been
to school.
She married him.
Taught him
to
read,
write,
spell.
He learned fast.
Became President.
Inherited
post-Civil War
reconstruction problems.
Beat an
impeachment rap
by just one vote
after trying to
fire his Secretary of War
for justifiable reasons.
Bought Alaska
from the Russians
for $7 million.
Lost his try at a
second term.
Ran for
U.S. Senate instead,
and won.
His name?
Andrew Johnson.
America will reach
its full maturity
when
an Andrew
does the
same
for an Eliza.