How Beaver Dam Almost Produced A President

(Beaver Dam) A local historian says Beaver Dam nearly produced a president. Roger Noll says John Thurston was a Beaver Dam High School and Wayland graduate and studied law. During a recent appearance on WBEV’s Community Comment, Noll said Thurston went to Nebraska, became a senator and was asked by Willian McKinley to be his vice president. McKinley was the 25th President of the United States and was assassinated on September 14, 1901 – six months into his second term. Thurston was McKinley’s first choice to be vice president but the Beaver Dam native denied his request. Theodore Roosevelt was later chosen. Noll was not sure why Thurston said no but speculated that it might not be a good career move saying that vice presidents did not do much back then. He says if history turned out differently Beaver Dam could have had presidential library.

 

Community Comment – Beaver Dam Library