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Grandson of 10th U.S. President Has Died at 96 Years Old
There have been nearly 50 presidents in America's history, and one of the last living relatives of one of the first has died.
Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the grandson of the 10th president John Tyler, died on Sunday at the age of 96. Tyler was the son of the president's 13th child Lyon Gardiner Tyler.
Harrison was born on November 9, 1928 - when his father was already 75 years old. Children being born later in their parents' lives was a tradition in the family, as Lyon was born when John was 63 years old.
Tyler's presidency began under relatively unprecedented terms. He joined the presidential ticket as William Henry Harrison' after being born into a Virginia family that owned slaves.
When Harrison died only 31 days into his term, Tyler took office. He held the presidency from 1841 through 1845, but the Whig Party did not nominate him for re-election. The party chose Henry Clay, who would go on to lose to Democrat James K. Polk.
Tyler's 15 children were the most fathered by any president. He had eight with his first wife Letitia Christian and seven with his second wife Julia Gardiner. Tyler married Gardiner during his presidency in 1844, just two years after Christian died of a stroke.
Harrison Ruffin Tyler became a minor celebrity during his life, as he was invited to meet then-sitting president Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House at just eight years old.
Lady Nancy Astor, a former member British Parliament, paid for Harrison's college tuition at William & Mary despite the two never meeting. He was also notable for being a direct descendant of Pocahontas.
Tyler founded ChemTreat, an industrial water treatment company, with business partner William P. Simmons in the late 1960s. The company served top clients like Kraft and Philip Morris.
Later in his life, Tyler sought to restore significant historical sites and artifacts such as Fort Pocahontas and one of his grandfather's former homes. That home, Sherwood Forest Plantation, is now open to the public and operated by a foundation.
Tyler and his late wife worked to restore the plantation. He is survived by three children and several grandchildren.
Rest in peace to Harrison Ruffin Tyler, and we send condolences to his family, friends and loved ones following his death.
Grandson of 10th U.S. President Has Died at 96 Years Old first appeared on Men's Journal on May 29, 2025
