Adlai Stevenson, when we hear the name we think of the man twice defeated by Eisenhower and the US ambassador to the United Nations demanding an answer from the Soviets, “Don’t wait for the translation just answer the question. Are there Soviet missiles on the island of Cuba?” But this isn’t about him, this is about his grandfather who served as Vice President during Grover Cleveland's second term from 1893 to 1897. 

He was born in Christian County Kentucky in 1835 where his family owned a small tobacco farm with five slaves. Young Adlai had attended a common school in Blue Water administered by the strict school master Mr. Caskie. Some years later, when he had become Adlai Stevenson the Vice Presidential candidate Mr. Caskie showed up and said. “I traveled over 20 miles to hear you speak, Do you still remember me?” Stevenson replied, “Yes Mr. Caskie, I still have a few marks to remember you by.” 

In 1852 his father freed the slaves and the Stevenson's left for Illinois after frost had destroyed their crop. His father operated a lumber mill where Adlai worked to save money

for college. 

He graduated with a law degree from Presbyterian Centre College in Danville Kentucky then returned to practice law in Illinois in 1858. He became very interested in the race for the US Senate and campaigned for Democrat Stephen Douglas. He also spoke out against the Know Nothing party which made him popular with the large number of Roman Catholics in the Irish and German communities. 

From 1860 to 1864 he served as an aide in the state court. He became District Attorney in 1864 and served until entering private practice in 1868. In 1874 he was elected to the US House of representatives, but lost his seat in the next election. He was elected again in 1878, but lost again in 1880, and again in 1882. 

President Grover Cleveland appointed him to the office of assistant US Postmaster in 1885. In 1889 he was nominated for a judicial position in the federal courts but it was denied by vengeful Republicans who remembered his having fired 40,000 “Republican” postmasters. The office of local postmaster paid little but since he knew who was getting what mail this made him a powerful man in local party politics. 

It was 1892 and Grover Cleveland was going to be the first man to run for a second non consecutive term in office. But the Democratic party had split over the “Soft money” issue. The populist favored bimetallism with silver as well as gold backing the value of a dollar, but Cleveland and the fiscally conservative Democrats supported the “Gold standard”. The Democrats decided to balance the ticket with “soft money” Stevenson and “gold standard” Cleveland. 

During the campaign Republicans distributed information clearly showing that the two Democrats were on opposite sides of the “Money” issue. 

As Vice President “Uncle Adlai” won praise for his dignified and non partisan manor in presiding over the Senate. 

He was informed that the last Democrat President to consult his vice president was James Buchanan when he asked Breckenridge what to say at a Thanksgiving dinner. He was then asked, “Has the President asked for your council on such matters?” Stevenson responded, “Not yet, but there are still a few remaining weeks in office.”


He lost the nomination for President to William Jennings Bryan in 1896. In the next election he was nominated to run with Bryan against William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. 

In 1908 he lost a race for governor of Illinois. He retired from politics, and lived quietly in Bloomington Illinois until his death in 1914.