Sons of the American Revolution facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Society
of the
Sons of the American Revolution

Emblem of the Sons of the American Revolution
Logo used by the SAR
Abbreviation	SAR, NSSAR
Motto	"Libertas et patria" (Latin) "Liberty and Country"
Established	April 30, 1889; 134 years ago (1889-04-30)
Type	Patriotic-Hereditary society
Legal status	Federally chartered corporation
Purpose	Fraternal, patriotic, historical, charitable, educational
Headquarters	809 West Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky
Region served	Nationwide
Membership	35,111 (2019)
Official language	English
Affiliations	Daughters of the American Revolution Children of the American Revolution

Philadelphia Continental Chapter of the SAR at a ceremony commemorating the birth of General and President George Washington at the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier in Washington Square, Philadelphia

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR or NSSAR) is an American congressionally chartered organization, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. A non-profit corporation, it has described its purpose as maintaining and extending "the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, a respect for our national symbols, the value of American citizenship, [and] the unifying force of 'e pluribus unum' that has created, from the people of many nations, one nation and one people."

The members of the society are male descendants of people who served in the American Revolutionary War or who contributed to establishing the independence of the United States. It is dedicated to perpetuating American ideals and traditions, and to protecting the Constitution of the United States; the official recognition of Constitution Day, Flag Day, and Bill of Rights Day were established through its efforts. It has members in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The organization is distinct from the Sons of the Revolution, a separate descendants heritage organization founded on February 22, 1876 by businessman John Austin Stevens and members of The Society of the Cincinnati. SAR Founder William Osborn McDowell disagreed with the Sons of the Revolution requirement at that time that all state societies were to be subordinate to the New York society.

History

Theodore Roosevelt, a member of the organization, signed its Congressional Charter in 1906

The first organization of descendants of Revolutionary War patriots was established in San Francisco, California, in 1876. A group of men who were descendants of Revolutionary War veterans gathered to celebrate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States. They also wanted to honor the men and women who pledged their lives, fortunes, and livelihood to the striving for independence from Great Britain. This group formed an organization called the Sons of Revolutionary War Sires (SRWS). There is, however, no direct link between the SRWS and the SAR except that members of the SRWS were permitted to join the SAR after its founding in 1889.

The history of the SAR can be traced to the founding of the Sons of the Revolution, the New York Society which was organized in 1876. The SR was founded by John Austin Stevens who envisioned an aristocratic social and hereditary organization along the lines of the Society of the Cincinnati. In 1889 William Osborn McDowell, a New Jersey financier and businessman, organized the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the Revolution but was unwilling to accept the SR's requirement that other state societies be subordinate to the New York society. Furthermore, McDowell wanted the society to become more of a mass movement of descendants of Revolutionary patriots rather than an exclusive social club. As a result, McDowell organized the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) at Fraunces Tavern in New York on April 30, 1889. This was the centennial for the inauguration of George Washington as the First President of the United States of America in 1789. SAR membership number 1 was assigned to McDowell. In addition to organizing the SAR, McDowell worked with six women to organize the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on July 29, 1890.

The SAR was formally granted a congressional charter by an act of Congress under Title 36 of the United States Code on June 9, 1906. The act was signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a member.

Sons of the American Revolution grave marker, Old Ship Burying Ground, Hingham, Massachusetts

Membership

Membership in the society is open to any male of "good repute" who can prove lineal bloodline descent from an ancestor who actively supported the American Revolution. Acceptable ancestors include:

• military veterans of the American Revolutionary War, including those who served in the Continental Army, Continental Navy, and state militias and navies
• signers of the Declaration of Independence
• members of the Continental Congress
• civilians who provided arms or supplies to the American cause
• people who served on political bodies supporting the Revolution, signed oaths of allegiance, or those who gave similar support to the Patriot cause.
• Soldiers and sailors from allied nations such as France and Spain who fought in support of American independence.

No state society or chapter may discriminate against an applicant on the basis of race or creed. The SAR claims a membership of over 37,000 members in over 550 chapters representing all 50 states in the United States, as well as societies in Canada, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Overall, about 200,000 descendants have been admitted since the founding of the S.A.R. in 1890.

Governance

Horace Porter, U.S. Ambassador to France, served as President-General of the Sons of the American Revolution from 1892 to 1897.

The governance of the Sons of the American Revolution is made up of 10 National (General) Officers, 15 Vice-Presidents that preside over separate geographical regions and a Trustee elected from each state and international society. These officers meet several times over the year to discuss business pertaining to the society. The National Officers meet at least four times during their term of office, unless special meetings are called. The Trustees meet twice each year at the Society's Headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. These meetings, known as the Fall and Spring Leadership Meetings, are normally held in late September and early March. During the Leadership Meetings committee recommendations and the society's budget are approved. While only the National Officers, Vice-Presidents and Trustees have the right to vote on the floor, all SAR members are welcome to attend and may request appointment to committees. The National Officers and Trustees also meet during the National Congress held in late June or early July of each year. Unlike the Leadership Meetings which always take place at the Society's National Headquarters, the National Congress is held in different locations throughout the United States. Locations are often selected in order to honor a historical event in United States history or in the history of the SAR, and there is an effort to alternate the meetings between the Eastern and Western United States. The National Congress is responsible for electing the National Officers and approving changes to the Society's constitution, along with any other motions brought before it. In addition to the National Officers, Vice-Presidents and Trustees, State and International Society Presidents and specially elected delegates from each society also attend with voting privileges. The number of delegates are determined by each State or International Society's membership size.

In addition to the larger meetings previously listed, there are over 60 standing and special committees that SAR members are appointed to in order to oversee the Society's welfare. Some of these committees include: facilities, insurance, genealogy, library, merchandise, medals and awards. All SAR members are welcome to participate on committees and are appointed by the Society's President General for a one-year term. There are no term-limits and all committee members have the right to vote on the committee's decisions.

The President-General for 2019–2020 is John T. Manning He was sworn in as President-General at the 129th National Congress in Orange County, CA. The Executive Director is Don Shaw of the Kentucky Society.

Genealogical library

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution has held a collection of genealogical reference dating back to 1889. Materials were originally kept by the Secretary General or Registrar General up until 1926, when the materials were moved to the Registrar General's office in Washington, D.C., in 1927, this collection was moved to the recently purchased Sixteenth Street Headquarters Building, and the collection had grown to 914 books by 1933. From this point until the move of Headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Louisville, Kentucky, the book collection grew at a rapid pace, growing to approximately 25,000 items by 1988. At this point, the Library was on the Second floor of the Headquarters building on South Fourth Street, and possessed a 544-square-foot vault for books not out in the library due to space.

Because of continuing growth, the SAR Library was moved in 2010 to a renovated building on West Main Street in the heart of the Historic Museum District of downtown Louisville. By this point, the Library collection had grown to over 58,000 items, mostly covering the Revolutionary War period, but also containing other genealogical materials. The library collection includes family histories, state genealogy materials, federal censuses, Revolutionary War pension applications, and CD collections, and the library separates materials based on State. The library also provides access to online research databases, including Ancestry.com, Footnote.com, and Heritage Quest Online.

Merchandise

The society operates a Merchandise Department that sells items intended for both SAR members and the general public. Among the products available to the general public are: clothing apparel for men and women, Revolutionary War replicas such as Liberty Bells and Field Cannons, jewelry for men and women such as lapel pins and cuff links, along with cups, mugs, key-chains, books, CDs, videos and knickknacks. Items intended for SAR members only include: clothing, decals, license plate holders and frames, certificates and medals corresponding to SAR activities, medals designed to reward active and retired military personnel, firefighters, EMS, JROTC and ROTC, individuals involved in education, Eagle Scouts and many others.

The Merchandise Department is located on the lower level of the SAR Genealogical Library, located at 809 West Main Street, just across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.

Activities

Indiana Society SAR Color Guard appearing with the recreated 19th US Infantry at an outdoor Fourth of July concert with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

The society is involved in historical research, raising funds for local scholarships and educational awards, and preservation of sites and documents related to the American Revolution. The SAR petitioned Congress to store Revolutionary era documents in a fire-proof area and make them available to the public, leading to the creation of the National Archives. It is also active in cataloging and marking Revolutionary War patriot graves and conducts an annual Eagle Scout scholarship program. The society is active in promoting "patriotism," and was instrumental in the establishment of Constitution Day. Several SAR societies and chapters have active color guard groups that appear in various public and private venues as a means of community outreach.

The Sons of the American Revolution hosts two Leadership Meetings and one National Congress every year. The two leadership meetings are held in the Spring and Fall in Louisville, KY at the Brown Hotel. The National Congress is held at a different location every year during the Summer. The 2017 National Congress took place in Knoxville, Tennessee, while the 2018 Congress will take place in Houston, Texas.

SAR national headquarters

The SAR's national headquarters, located along Museum Row in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, contains the organization's administrative staff offices, SAR Genealogical Research Library, and the future site of an American Revolutionary War Education Center. The SAR is currently raising funds to finish the Center's development. The building houses original and copied art that commemorates important people and events of the Revolutionary War, as well as historical uniforms, flags, documents, and other colonial era pieces.

Symbolism of the SAR insignia

The SAR insignia consists of a Maltese cross surrounded by a garland, with a relief of George Washington in a center circle.

The cross's vertical bar represents the commandment "You Shall Love Your God"; the horizontal bar represents the commandment "You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself." The four limbs are a reminder of the four cardinal virtues; its eight points represent eight spiritual injunctions:

1. To have spiritual contentment
2. To live without malice
3. To weep over your sins
4. To humble yourself at insults
5. To love justice
6. To be merciful
7. To be sincere and open-hearted
8. To suffer persecution

Surrounding the relief of Washington in the center are the words "LIBERTAS ET PATRIA," a reminder of the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

The insignia is normally worn suspended by a ribbon of blue, white and gold (buff) on the wearer's left breast. National officers and former state and chapter presidents wear the insignia suspended from a neck ribbon of the Society's colors.

On other occasions a rosette in the Society's colors is worn on the wearers left lapel.

Notable SAR members

Presidents of the United States

To date, 17 presidents of the United States have been members of the SAR. President Grant was admitted posthumously in recognition of his being a member of the Sons of Revolutionary Sires, whose members were later admitted to membership in the SAR.

• Ulysses S. Grant (posthumous) 18th
• Rutherford B. Hayes 19th
• Benjamin Harrison 23rd
• William McKinley 25th
• Theodore Roosevelt 26th
• William Howard Taft 27th
• Warren G. Harding 29th
• Calvin Coolidge 30th
• Herbert Hoover 31st
• Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd
• Harry S. Truman 33rd
• Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th
• Lyndon B. Johnson 36th
• Gerald D. "Jerry" Ford 38th
• James Earl "Jimmy" Carter 39th
• George H. W. Bush 41st
• George W. Bush 43rd

Of the presidents who lived since the SAR's founding in 1889 and are not listed above, presidents Grover Cleveland, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all had patriot ancestors but did not join the SAR. Presidents Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump did not have patriot ancestors.

Of the 22 presidents who served prior to the founding of the SAR, six qualify as patriot ancestors – George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe and Andrew Jackson. Two others, Grant and Hayes, were members of SAR.

Vice presidents of the United States

• Charles G. Dawes
• Levi P. Morton
• Nelson Rockefeller

In addition to the above, the following vice presidents were SAR compatriots and later became President of the United States: Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry S Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.

Nobel Peace Prize recipients

• President Theodore Roosevelt
• President Jimmy Carter
• Vice President Charles G. Dawes
• Secretary of State Elihu Root
• Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg

Nobel Prize for Literature recipient

• Sir Winston Churchill

Medal of Honor recipients

The following 38 SAR Compatriots are known to have received the Medal of Honor. It is possible that there are other Medal of Honor recipients who were SAR Compatriots.

(The rank indicated is the highest held by the individual and not necessarily that held at the time the Medal of Honor was earned or awarded.)

• General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, USA – Legendary general (General MacArthur approved an SAR service medal, the Patriot Medal, bearing his likeness, and was the first recipient following his death in 1964.)
• General Jonathan Wainwright, USA – Commanded the defense of the Philippines.
• Admiral Frank F. Fletcher – Commander of the Vera Cruz intervention.
• Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles, USA – U.S. Army Commanding General, 1895–1903.
• Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, USN – Prisoner of War in Vietnam.
• Major General Patrick Brady, USA – Vietnam War helicopter pilot.
• Major General Adolphus Greely, USA – Civil War veteran and Arctic explorer.
• Major General David S. Stanley, USV
• Brevet Major General Lewis Addison Grant, USV – Assistant Secretary of War.
• Brevet Major General Rufus Saxton, USV
• Brevet Major General Orlando Willcox, USA
• Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd Jr., USN – aviator and Antarctic explorer.
• Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., AUS – Landed at Utah Beach on D-Day.
• Brigadier General John B. Babcock, USA
• Brigadier General Robert H. Dunlap, USMC
• Brigadier General Joseph Foss, SDANG – Marine fighter pilot and Governor of South Dakota.
• Brigadier General Oscar F. Long, USA
• Brigadier General Edmund Rice, USV
• Brevet Brigadier General Byron Mac Cutcheon, USV
• Brevet Brigadier General Horace Porter, USV – President General of the SAR from 1892 to 1897.
• Brevet Brigadier General Philip S. Post, USV – U.S. Representative.
• Brevet Brigadier General Edward W. Whitaker, USV
• Colonel John C. Gresham, USA
• Colonel Charles H. Heyl, USA
• Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, USV – Hero of the Battle of San Juan Hill.
• Brevet Colonel Clinton A. Cilley, USV
• Brevet Colonel Horatio Collins King, USV
• Lieutenant Colonel Bernard A. Byrne, USV
• Brevet Lieutenant Colonel George G. Benedict, USV
• Major Ira H. Evans, USV
• Major John Alexander Logan Jr., USV
• Brevet Major Ira H. Evans, USV
• Surgeon John O. Skinner, USA
• Captain George Washington Brush, USV
• First Lieutenant Powhatan H. Clarke, USA
• Chief Warrant Officer Hershel W. Williams, USMCR
• Technical Sergeant Charles H. Coolidge, USA
• Sergeant John D. Hawk, USA

Military and naval officers

• Admiral of the Navy George Dewey – Hero of the Battle of Manila Bay
• General of the Armies John J. Pershing – U.S. Army Chief of Staff and commander of the American Expeditionary Force in the First World War
• General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower – Supreme Commander of Allied Forces Europe
• General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold, USAF – Commander of the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II
• Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey – Commander of the 3rd Fleet in World War II
• General Joseph E. Johnston, CSA – Confederate general
• General Frederick Kroesen – Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army
• General Charles P. Summerall – U.S. Army Chief of Staff
• General William C. Westmoreland – Commander of Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV)
• Admiral Thomas H. Moorer – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Admiral David Dixon Porter – Senior admiral of the U.S. Navy
• Admiral Harry D. Train II – NATO Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic
• Lieutenant General Joseph Wheeler, CSA – Veteran of the Civil War and the Spanish–American War
• Lieutenant General Theodore G. Stroup, USA – Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel
• Lieutenant General Guy Swan, USA – Commanding General, 5th US Army
• Lieutenant General David Ohle, USA – Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel
• Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, USN – President of the Naval War College
• Major General James A. Adkins, USA – 28th Adjutant General of Maryland
• Major General Thomas M. Anderson – Veteran of the Civil War, Spanish–American War and the Philippine Insurrection
• Major General Joseph Cabell Breckinridge Sr., USV – Veteran of the Civil War and the Spanish–American War
• Major General Donald Burdick, USA – Director, Army National Guard
• Major General Darius N. Couch, USV – Union Army general during the Civil War
• Major General Frederick D. Grant, USV – Son of President Ulysses S. Grant
• Major General Ulysses S. Grant III – Grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant
• Major General Curtis Guild Jr., MVM – Governor of Massachusetts
• Major General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, CSA – Son of General Robert E. Lee
• Major General William R. Shafter – Commanded U.S. Army Fifth Corps in Cuba in the Spanish–American War
• Major General George Owen Squier USA, – Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army in World War I, inventor of telephone carrier multiplexing in 1910 and Muzak background music
• Rear Admiral Charles Johnston Badger – Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy
• Rear Admiral John R. Bartlett – Oceanographer
• Rear Admiral George Belknap
• Rear Admiral Charles Edgar Clark – Captain of the battleship USS Oregon during the Spanish-American War
• Rear Admiral Walter S. Crosley – Navy Cross recipient
• Rear Admiral Lewis A. Kimberly
• Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley – Hero of the Battle of Santiago de Cuba
• Rear Admiral John L. Worden – Commander of the USS Monitor
• Brigadier General James Devereux, USMC – Recipient of the Navy Cross and congressman
• Brigadier General Charles Wheaton Abbot Jr., RING – Adjutant General of Rhode Island
• Brigadier General George Andrews – Adjutant General of the United States Army
• Brigadier General George Lippitt Andrews
• Brigadier General William H. Bisbee – Veteran of the Civil War and Spanish–American War (lived to age 102)
• Brigadier General Charles A. Coolidge – Veteran of the Civil War and Spanish–American War.
• Brigadier General Charles Duke, USAF – Apollo 16 lunar module pilot.
• Brigadier General Elisha Dyer Jr., RIM – Adjutant General of Rhode Island
• Brigadier General Winfield Scott Edgerly – Veteran of the Indian Wars and the Spanish–American War.
• Brigadier General James Roosevelt, USMCR – Recipient of the Navy Cross and the Silver Star.
• Brigadier General George Miller Sternberg – U.S. Army Surgeon General.
• Brigadier General Charles Foster Tillinghast Sr., RING – Veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I
• Brevet Brigadier General Edwin S. Greeley, USV – Union Veteran of the Civil War
• Captain Charles V. Gridley, USN – Captain of the USS Olympia at the Battle of Manila Bay.
• Colonel Ashley Chadbourne McKinley, USAF – Photographer on first flight over the South Pole.
• Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, USV – Spanish–American War veteran and leader of the Rough Riders
• Lieutenant Colonel Russell Benjamin Harrison, USV – Veteran of the Spanish–American War and son of President Benjamin Harrison.
• Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Roosevelt, AUS – Veteran of both world wars and four time recipient of the Silver Star.
• Commander Franklin Roosevelt Jr., USN – Recipient of the Silver Star and Congressman.
• Major Washington Irving Lincoln Adams, NA – Politician, banker and veteran of World War I, descendant of President John Adams and president general of the SAR from 1922 to 1923.
• Major Archibald Butt – Presidential aide who died on the RMS Titanic.
• Major Kermit Roosevelt, AUS – Served in the British and American armies in both world wars and recipient of the Military Cross.
• Brevet Major Augustus P. Davis, USV – Founder of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

Public officials

Foreign national leaders

• HM Juan Carlos I – King of Spain
• HM Felipe VI of Spain – King of Spain
• Rt. Hon. Sir Winston Churchill KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Cabinet officers

• Charles F. Adams III – Secretary of the Navy
• Russell A. Alger – United States Secretary of War
• Joseph W. Barr – Secretary of the Treasury
• Herbert Hoover – Secretary of Commerce
• Charles Evans Hughes (honorary) – Supreme Court Chief Justice, Secretary of State and Governor of New York
• Frank B. Kellogg – Secretary of State
• Franklin Roosevelt – Assistant Secretary of the Navy
• Theodore Roosevelt – Assistant Secretary of the Navy
• Elihu Root – Secretary of War and Secretary of State
• Donald Rumsfeld – Secretary of Defense
• John Sherman – Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury and United States Senator, author of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act
• Henry L. Stimson – Secretary of War during World War II

Diplomats

• Angier Biddle Duke – Ambassador to Denmark
• David J. Hill – Ambassador to Germany
• John Langeloth Loeb Jr. – Ambassador to Denmark
• Thomas W. Palmer – Ambassador to Spain
• Horace Porter – Ambassador to France
• G. Mennen Williams – Ambassador to the Philippines
• Henry L. Wilson – Diplomat and Ambassador to Mexico 1909–1913

Governors

• Sherman Adams – Governor of New Hampshire and chief of staff to President Eisenhower
• Russell A. Alger – Governor of Michigan
• Augustus O. Bourn – Governor of Rhode Island
• Morgan Bulkeley – Governor of Connecticut, United States Senator, Mayor of Hartford and longtime president of Aetna Insurance
• Harry F. Byrd – Governor and United States senator from Virginia
• Lawton Chiles – U.S. Senator and Governor of Florida
• Owen Vincent Coffin – Governor of Connecticut
• Channing H. Cox – Governor of Massachusetts
• Thomas E. Dewey – Governor of New York and presidential candidate
• Elisha Dyer Jr. – Governor of Rhode Island
• Charles Edison – Governor of New Jersey and son of Thomas Edison
• Bob Ehrlich – Governor of Maryland
• Phillips Lee Goldsborough – Governor of Maryland
• Robert S. Green – Governor of New Jersey
• Curtis Guild Jr. – Governor of Massachusetts
• Lucius F. Hubbard – Governor of Minnesota and brigadier general during the Spanish–American War
• Robert Floyd Kennon – Governor of Louisiana
• Charles D. Kimball – Governor of Rhode Island
• Charles W. Lippitt – Governor of Rhode Island
• Arch A. Moore Jr. – Governor of West Virginia
• Levi P. Morton – Vice President of the U.S. and Governor of New York
• Franklin Murphy – Governor of New Jersey
• Martin O'Malley – Governor of Maryland and presidential candidate
• Chase Osborn – Governor of Michigan
• Rick Perry – Governor of Texas
• Henry Roberts – Governor of Connecticut
• Nelson A. Rockefeller – Governor of New York and Vice President of the United States
• Winthrop Rockefeller – Governor of Arkansas
• Theodore Roosevelt – Governor of New York
• John G. Rowland – Governor of Connecticut
• Leverett Saltonstall – Governor of Massachusetts
• Royal C. Taft – Governor of Rhode Island
• Edwin Warfield – Governor of Maryland
• G. Mennen Williams – Governor of Michigan
• Charles S. Whitman – Governor of New York
• Rollin S. Woodruff – Governor of Connecticut

United States senators

• Lamar Alexander – United States senator from Tennessee
• Russell A. Alger – United States senator from Michigan
• Scott Brown – United States senator from Massachusetts
• Quentin N. Burdick – United States senator from North Dakota
• Harry F. Byrd Jr. – United States senator from Virginia
• Royal S. Copeland – United States senator from New York
• Chauncey M. Depew – United States senator, member of the Skull and Bones Society and President of the Empire State Society of the SAR from 1890 to 1899
• Sam Ervin – United States senator and Distinguished Service Cross recipient
• William P. Frye – United States senator from Maine
• Barry M. Goldwater – United States senator from Arizona and presidential candidate
• Chuck Grassley - United States senator from Iowa and President pro tempore of the United States Senate
• Marcus A. Hanna – United States senator from New York
• Hamilton Fish Kean – United States senator from New Jersey
• Kenneth B. Keating – United States senator from New York and Ambassador to India and Israel
• Henry F. Lippitt – United States senator from Rhode Island
• Henry Cabot Lodge – United States senator from Massachusetts
• John S. McCain, III – United States senator from Arizona
• Mitch McConnell – United States senator from Kentucky and United States Senate Majority Leader
• Jesse H. Metcalf – United States senator from Rhode Island
• John Holmes Overton – United States senator from Louisiana
• Thomas W. Palmer – United States senator from Michigan
• Gary Peters – United States senator from Michigan
• Orville H. Platt – United States senator from Connecticut
• Leverett Saltonstall – United States senator and governor of Massachusetts
• Robert Taft Jr. – United States senator from Ohio
• Herman Talmadge – United States senator from Georgia
• Strom Thurmond – United States senator from South Carolina
• John Tower – United States senator from Texas
• Roger Wicker – United States senator from Mississippi

U.S. representatives

• Richard S. Aldrich – U.S. representative from Rhode Island
• Hale Boggs – Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives
• Colonel William Campbell Preston Breckinridge, CSA – U.S. representative from Kentucky
• Charles E. Chamberlain – U.S. representative from Michigan
• Byron M. Cutcheon – U.S. representative from Michigan
• Brigadier General James P. S. Devereux, USMC – U.S. representative and Navy Cross recipient
• Charles H. Grosvenor – U.S. representative
• Gilbert Gude – U.S. representative
• Jefferson M. Levy – U.S. representative and owner of Monticello
• John J. Rhodes – U.S. representative for 30 years
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. – U.S. representative
• Henry Stockbridge – U.S. representative
• David Jenkins Ward – U.S. representative
• Bob Wilson – U.S. representative from California

Judges

• William Howard Taft – Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
• David Josiah Brewer – Associate justice of the Supreme Court
• George E. Bushnell – Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court

Other public officials

• Colonel Louis R. Cheney – Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut
• Arthur W. Coolidge – Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
• George P. Cronk – Los Angeles City Council member, 1945–52
• Arthur W. Dennis – Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island
• Seymour Lowman – Lieutenant Governor of New York
• Wallace McCamant – Federal judge
• Winthrop Paul Rockefeller – Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
• Theodore Roosevelt – Police commissioner of New York City
• Ernest E. Rogers – Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut

Other notable members

• Henry L. P. Beckwith Jr. – Genealogist and historian
• Thomas W. Bicknell – Educator and anti-segregationist
• Luther Blount – Inventor and shipyard owner
• George Madison Bodge – Author, historian, and genealogist
• John Nicholas Brown II – Philanthropist
• Charles W. Burpee – Newspaper editor
• Edward Miner Gallaudet – Founder of the Columbia Institution for the Deaf
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr – Professor and chairman of the African American Studies Program at Harvard University and television host
• Elbridge Thomas Gerry – Social reformer and commodore of the New York Yacht Club
• Benjamin Apthorp Gould – astronomer
• John B. Hattendorf – Naval historian and professor at the United States Naval War College
• William Randolph Hearst – Newspaper publisher and U.S. Representative
• William Randolph Hearst Jr. – Newspaper editor
• Benjamin Newhall Johnson – Attorney and historian
• William Osborn McDowell – Founder of the SAR
• Frederick Law Olmsted – Landscape architect and designer of Central Park
• Norman Vincent Peale – Author and minister
• H. Paul Pressler – Texas appeals court justice and leader of the Conservative Resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention
• John D. Rockefeller – Oil refiner
• Theodore Roosevelt – Author and conservationist
• Elliott Fitch Shepard – lawyer and newspaper owner
• George Albert Smith – President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• John Spencer-Churchill – Artist and nephew of Winston Churchill
• Lowell Thomas – Author and news reporter
• George Washington Vanderbilt II – Owner of the Biltmore estate
• Edgar Williamson Jr. – Insurance executive

List of Presidents General of the Sons of the American Revolution

This is an incomplete list of the presidents-general of the Sons of the American Revolution. The first President General was Lucius Deming. There have been three Honorary President Generals named. Four President Generals have died in office.