William Henry Harrison

This  1840 portrait of  William Henry Harrison by Albert Gallatin Hoit hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

 "As a two-term congressman and former territorial governor, William Henry Harrison could lay no claim to proven abilities in political leadership. But his reputation as a frontier Indian fighter and hero of the War of 1812 amply made up for this, and in 1840 the Whigs eagerly made him their presidential standard-bearer.  In the so-called, 'hard cider'  campaign that followed, Harrison's supporters celebrated his military prowess and: combined it with home­spun frontier imagery that was unprecedented for its carnival-like brouhaha. While discussion of real issues was avoided, that brouhaha proved sufficient in itself to win, Harrison the presidency.

Jubilance over this victory however, proved short­lived. Soon after delivering the longest inaugural address ever made Harrison contracted pneumonia and, on April 4, 1841 became the first president to die in office." -- National Portrait Gallery